More handpicked essays just for you.
Government affects the life
Henry david thoreau beliefs into the wild
Thoreau's view of man's relationship to the government
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Mark Twain once asserted, “Loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.” In relation to Henry David Thoreau’s essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”, this quote by Twain could be used to summarize the entire essay. Upon reading the opening of the essay, Thoreau’s views on the government seemed to be opaque as he would often switch sides. He would start a debate on why the government is “evil” in one paragraph, and in the next say they are an essential establishment in society since they are the best-known form of maintaining order. Although Thoreau’s views on the government seemed to be unclear at the start, he makes them very evident towards the ending. Let us investigate the two sides of his views …show more content…
on the government and why he held such views. During the late 1840’s, the United States was at war with Mexico known as the Mexican-American War, over the annexation of Texas.
This was a time of utmost turmoil as with other battles in the history of the United States. This was also the time in which Henry David Thoreau lived, a time he did not approve of very well. In his views, the government had a very controlling presence in society in that they would deviously seize the citizens assistance to fund the war; regardless of whether the citizens supported the war or not. This not only conflicts with the citizens right, but is also wrong from a moralistic point of view. The government acquired the citizens help mainly through taxes. They also forced citizens to pay the clergyman for preaching as mentioned on page 7. In response to this atrocious act, Thoreau states, “I have paid no poll tax for six years. I was put in jail once on this account, for one night.” If one were to read Thoreau’s essay without any context of the time period, one would think that Thoreau is not a righteous citizen. However, given the time period his actions were appropriate and I believe they spoke louder than any words he would have uttered. Despite his resentment towards the government, Thoreau would periodically mention that the ideal government he dreams of, the one that truly upholds the law is not realistic. I believe he mentions this because he realizes that every being is flawed in some way or another, the government is no exception to …show more content…
this. He accepts it as the flawed institution it is for a slight moment. One might wonder what type of government Thoreau desires.
Well, from the way he expresses himself throughout the essay we can safely deduce that he yearns for a government that treats its people right, respects them regardless of their social status, nourishes the people when they are at their lowest point, and does not deceive (or force) them to commit a (morally) wrong act. Perhaps, one could say he desires a government similar to that of ancient Athens – a direct democracy. Unfortunately, our founding fathers did not share Thoreau’s mentality when creating what we have come to know as United States of America. In today’s world, the closest government we have to Thoreau’s ideal government described in the essay is that of Switzerland, where the country is truly its people. Despite this, one could argue that giving the people all the power to make a country’s laws can do more harm than good since one can never be certain that the citizens know any better than the government. Even if they do, without a formal structure in place the citizens might not be able to coherently administer the intended policies. Therefore, in one way or another, the need for a formal government
arises. From my point of view, I believe that there needs to be some sort of middle ground where the government and the people can peacefully communicate their ideas. One possible middle ground could be a combination of direct democracy and representative democracy, as the mixture of the two would give the people a ‘true’ voice in making decisions on behalf of our country. Also, our voice would be more authoritative in making decisions to implement certain policies, we would be able to decide how our taxes are being spent, etc. The government’s role could be to oversee the decisions made by people and guide them in a non-authoritative way. I realize that my proposal is very unrealistic, perhaps more so than Thoreau’s. However, great ideas usually arise from an unorthodox point of view. Lastly, I would like to ask Henry David Thoreau a few questions if he were alive today. Does he favor the democratic party or the republican party? From the way he wrote his essay, it is difficult to make a sound decision, although it seems like he might be more on the democratic side. What are his opinions on how the government is run in the present day in contrast to the old days? Has it gotten better at understanding the people’s interest and maintaining better relationship with them? In addition, ask him to response to this quote by Ronald Reagan, “Man, is not free unless government is limited.” Hence, I also pose the question, what is “free”? How does one realize one is “free”?
Thoreau conveys many points in his writing and a large recurring one is the state of society. As stated before, he believed that people are too focused on physical gain and modernization which leads them into desperation. He adds on to this belief later in the book asking that above all else whether it be money or fame he be given honesty (Thoreau 246). To Thoreau, the truth is more important than anything measurable in status. Thoreau believes that a minimalist lifestyle is a good lifestyle, similar to Mccandless. He speaks of how it is good that he can put all of his belonging in one pile in his yard because it removes the clutter from his life (Thoreau 85). He also says that his best quality in life is to want very little, because it keeps himself true to himself and keeps him from distraction. Thoreau also believes that every man should be one in himself not oppressed by the government. He says that everyone should be able to be themselves whether is is in accord with the government or not (Thoreau 240). He is essentially saying that the government should not be a part of people's life decisions only to maintain the
Without any government intervention, the state would be in shambles with no regulations on food, drugs, or the workforce. As for government based on conscience, Thoreau’s argument falls flat when he fails to recognize that majority rule is the only fair rule. Thoreau needed to learn that when friction takes over a machine, the machine is to be fixed, not thrown away. Evidently, Henry David Thoreau’s argument against organized government in America is much too flawed to be
Thoreau is targeting all of the American citizens with this essay. He is making a statement to them and trying to convince them that as a whole we need to make a stand against the American government. Thoreau is attempting to demonstrate his self-reliance against the government. He upholds his specific principles and encouraged nonaggressive acts of political resistance to protest government policy. An example of his resistance is when he states “that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave's government also”. The two major issues occurring during the writing of this essay were the Mexican-American war and slavery. During this time period many northerners began to push against slavery causing a divide in the American society. The Mexican-American War ...
In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau stated that government should be expedient and conscientious. He started off his essay with his motto, “That government is best which governs least” and “That government is best which governs not at all.” He meant that we did not need a government that made rules and that the government should let the people do whatever they wanted to do. He believed that government should be expedient, not inexpedient. “Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.” He used a lot of examples to justify the inexpedient government. One of them was the Mexican-American war. “Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for, in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure…” It was inexpedient because war was just a tool for a few powerful individuals and did not have consent of the multitude. He believed that the government should help most of the people, not just a few rich people. In addition, the minority rule, in w...
As I've studied Henry David Thoreau's essay "Resistance to Civil Government," I've identified the persuasive elements and analyzed a specific portion of the text to create my own argument. In this essay, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses found throughout both responses through the lens of persuasive analysis in order to prove my ability to utilize rhetorical strategies.
In Thoreau’s view, he felt that the government was insufficient. He didn’t need the laws to be just, he used his conscious and morality. He was compelled to do what morally was right, rather than it being based on government issued laws such as the complacent society there is today. People seem to care about justice, yet are immoral. This was the message Thoreau was trying to get across.
“On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” is evocative of some of the most famous writings of the Revolutionary Era. In comparison to “The Declaration of Independence”, both works include the three elements of Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle: logos, ethos, and pathos. When employed tactfully, the combination of these three components can create a very compelling argument. Thoreau’s essay elicits the idea that it is our civic duty and moral obligation to revolt when great injustices- slavery being the injustice he chose to write about- are occurring amongst us. By including factual evidence, referencing authority figures such as George Washington and
Though Thoreau 's basis was more along the lines of environmentalism he was quite the political man in his essay Civil Disobedience. Thoreau 's thoughts on the American government can be seen in the first few paragraphs
In “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau articulates the importance he places on resistance against a powerful, controlling government. He opens his essay with a reference to the...
The government are not listening. On “A Civil Disobedience describes on how the civilization was being corrupted by the fact that the community was being affected by the laws that the government did in order to see how the civilians will do. According to “A Civil Disobedience thoreau states that “government has made the mode which the people have no choice”. Thoreau mentions that the government made some changes that the people did not know about by following the laws. This appeals to the people credibility ethos because the government needed the credibility to the government for allowing the civilians to follow the rules. One example is in “A Civil Disobedience” describes “ government shows thus how sucessfully men can be opose for their own advantage like being the person that got used”. This connects to analogy because there is a comparisons between the government making the laws and the people doing so much to not obey the laws. On A Civil Disobedience”Thoreau mentions “the charactered inherited in american if someone would have done something if the government had not got in the way. Thoreau said that the government got in the way from someone who was about to try to change and only one man refused to pay the taxes and he has inspired everyone to do it. The author appeals to the person emotions because it has hurt the man feelings when the
Democratic societies are were the people are involved in the decision making of the government and have representation. In Thomas Paine’s Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs, Paine desired for the colonies to go to war against Britain to gain independence, while having the feeling that Britain was exploiting the colonies. Paine explains the disadvantages of the colonies being connected with Britain. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Divinity School Address he brings forth a moral argument. He discusses the relationship between man, soul, God, and the church. In Henry David Thoreau’ On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Henry believes in the act of civil disobedience, in which man does not need the government as much as they think they do. Henry promotes the idea of individuality, in which man could do better than the government in various situations. Thomas Paine, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau, were American writers who generated their own ideas of an ideal American society, where people have involvement with the government or church.
Thoreau explains “There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin” (Thoreau 3). George Washington and Benjamin Franklin are two prominent figures of American nationalism and independence, and many American citizens regard them as idols. Thoreau exploits their credential to motivate people to take actions against an ineffective government and oppose the war and slavery in the U.S. Thoreau also questions citizens by explaining what is ethical as a citizen. Thoreau states “but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have it to regret” (Thoreau 4). Thoreau explains that people of the U.S. do not put in their efforts to change such as voting or protesting, yet they still expect other people to discard evils such as corruption, slavery, and government tyranny. Thoreau justifies the uselessness as unethical and condemns the citizens. By using the word such as evil, Thoreau wants people to fight against the evil, government tyranny, and express the true American nationalism. The author employs ethos throughout Civil Disobedience to make the people of the U.S. ethical and become more involved with the problems about the
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a philosopher and writer who is well known for his criticism of the American government during the time. During Thoreau’s life, there were two major issues being debated in the United States: slavery and the Mexican-American War. Both issues greatly influenced his essay, as he actually practiced civil disobedience in his own life by refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. He states that the government should be based on conscience and that citizens should refuse to follow the law and have the duty not to participate and stay as a member of an unjust institution like the government. I argue that the notion of individualism and skepticism toward government is essential to the basis of many important reform movements in the modern society.
Throughout Thoreau’s essay, he expressed his opinions and beliefs on the importance of civil disobedience in a society. He talked about how one must use his or her moral sense, conscience, to decide what is just and unjust. From here, Thoreau urged his readers to take action, to stop the machine from continuing its lifeless duty. His call to action is if a system is prone to corruption, the people must disobey it. This means that personal endangerment may be needed to do what is right. Going against the status quo to uphold justice and ethics is the basic message behind Thoreau’s essay.
Henry David Thoreau was an American philosopher lived in 19th century, when young and feeble American society was not powerful as nowadays. His illustrious work called as “Civil disobedience” demonstrated his polar point of view towards unjust government. Objection to pay taxes, protests, follow own conscience are only some of the methods of disobeying. His main point is that any man, who treats himself as a conscience man, should differentiate laws in order to determine which law is right or wrong, and consequently no to obey that unjust law. I mostly agree with this statement, and this essay will show how does he reach such conclusion and will provide arguments for and against to this statement.