Thoreaus Theory Of Civil Disobedience - 882 Words

Henry David Thoreau made a practice of conscientiously and willfully disobeying laws that he believed to be unjust. He was arrested and put in jail for doing so on numerous occasions. Thoreau described this as passive resistance, or nonviolent opposition to authority, especially in cases with refusal to cooperate legally. Passive resistance, also known as civil disobedience, influenced people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and even John F. Kennedy. Civil Disobedience in the same way is refusing to obey laws, demands, commands of a government. Thoreau states that â€Å"it is not a mans duty†¦ to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong†¦ but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Laws are put in place for means of protection of others and are overall very just and useful in day to day life. Law making is progress and progression and not a single person has a right to break t hese laws. Thoreau’s action of civil disobedience against the State is slightly hypocritical when you take into account the lack of true consequences he had taken for his actions. Thoreau did not have to face punishing consequences of his actions lessening the validity of his philosophical point. He sat in jail one night compared to others that have been beaten or even killed standing up for what they believe in. While Thoreau made justification for civil disobedience to the laws of the State, his actual actions of this disobedience relied on one’s tolerance for the pain and trouble one would encounter. Henry David Thoreau noted that his fellow citizens would â€Å"dread the consequences of disobedience to [the State] to their property and families† (8). He argued that the moral incentive for such actions was so strong it would be â€Å"impossible for a man to live honestly and at the same time comfortably in outward respects† (8). Thoreau did not l ive without comfort, did not truly deal with the consequences of his disobedience to the State. Thoreau builds his essay’s thesis around the fact that for not paying his taxes, he spent a night in jail. It was only one night because his tax was paid by aShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience1432 Words   |  6 Pages Civil Disobedience or originally known as â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† is one of the most known essay written by Henry David Thoreau. Published in 1866, it was written shortly after Thoreau spent one night in jail due to not paying a poll tax. Outraged by been imprisoned Thoreau wrote the essay to slam the government on many of the issues that were occurring at the time, some events like the Mexican-American war and slavery were the two major targets he bashed as he was opposed in goingRead MoreThe Need For Civil Disobedience Essay1172 Words   |  5 PagesHenry David Thoreau. Specifically, he proposed a theor y that a personal conscience is the main sense, which is responsible for basic rudiments of social principles and argued that if complying the law forces to support and be a part of unjust affairs of the government then people should make their own decisions founded on morality. Therefore a person should try to follow conscience in order to act in accordance with their moral principles. During Thoreau’s time, he mentioned two main unjust aspects, suchRead MoreCivil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau Essay1178 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau was a means of educating people on why they should not settle for a less than perfect government. Thoreau’s work is a reminder that it is our duty to throw off an unsatisfactory government, as stated by Thomas Jefferson in the â€Å"Declaration of Independence.† Civil Disobedience touches on the subject of why people choose to do nothing about a government they are unhappy wit h. People fear the consequences they might suffer if they do interfere with theRead MoreEssay about Thoreau: Right or Wrong?757 Words   |  4 Pages Websters dictionary defines civil disobedience as refusal to obey governmental demands esp. as a nonviolent and usu. collective means of forcing concessions from the government. Henry Thoreau wrote an essay titled Civil Disobedience that has through the years become the authoritative argument on the subject. People as distinguished as Martin Luther King and Gandhi have used this essay as a cornerstone in their respective movements. However, I see Thoreau more as a hypocrite and an anarchistRead MoreThoreau’s Case for Political Disengagement by Carl Bankston919 Words   |  4 Pages In the article â€Å"Thoreau’s Case for Political Disengagement,† the author, Carl Bankston, examines Thoreau’s portrayal of having a moral conscience while being controlled by society. The author distinctly explains Thoreau’s ideas, while also giving his own opinion on the subject. Absorption in civic involvement, from the point of view Thoreau gives us, dimin-ishes the independent self and therefore diminishes the ability to think for oneself, which is necessary for the use of the full range of moralRead MoreThoreau Civil Disobedience Summary1289 Words   |  6 PagesIn the essay Civil Disobedience, author Thoreau states that a government infrequently proves itself useful, as it is often backed up by the majority, instead of following what is truly right. Thoreau argues that people should not allow the government to overrule their consciousness, or make them persons of an injust practice. More importantly he wants his readers to take many of his ideas and put them to work, these things include, not being part of the majority, expressing their own opinion, andRead MoreEarly American Transcendentalism1204 Words   |  5 Pagesgreatest influences towards American society because it is not only a philosophy, but also a religion and physical progression. During t he early nineteenth century, Ralph Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and other radical individuals challenged the present day theories of values, ethics, and what it means to live life to the fullest (Timko). If early American transcendentalists were living among civilians today, would present day civilians think the earlier activists were radical and psychotic? During this timeRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience984 Words   |  4 Pagesthen, did he influence such political icons as Mohandas Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, and Martin Luther King Jr.? The answer lies in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† (1849). â€Å"Civil Disobedience† is an analysis of the individual’s relationship to the state and focuses mainly on why men obey laws even when they violate their own conscience. It is not an essay of abstract theory, but instead Thoreau’s extremely personal response to being imprisoned for breaking the law. Due to his detest of slavery and the tax revenues thatRead MoreDouglass and King: Advice They Might Have Accepted from Thoreau566 Words   |  3 Pagesindividuals. Thoreau was opposed to injustice in general and refused to support or to follow the unjust laws. His idealism and anarchism influenced the thinking of King. Douglass narrative shows how his thinking would have been similar to that of Thoreaus. Douglass descriptions of the cruelty lived by African Americans are filled with horrific details that would touch anyone. He believed that slavery was not only dehumanizing for the slaves, but for the slaveholders as well. Douglass uses asRead MoreAnalysis Of David Thoreau s Walden 1507 Words   |  7 PagesBullhead City The Alaska Interior Chris McCandless admired Henry David Thoreau, author of â€Å"Walden,† and adopted many of his ideals as his own. McCandless sought for simplicity and desired to stray from social norms and clichà © material goods. Although Thoreau’s book was found in Chris’ trailer, he did not live step by step how Thoreau did. He ventured beyond these transcendentalist ideals, taking them to unheard of heights. While Thoreau sought a life in the wilderness to ponder both nature and the world