Essay on The Political Principles of Thoreau - 807 Words

The Political Principles of Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was, in many ways, ahead of his time in his political beliefs. During his brief life, he lectured occasionally and struggled to get his writings published. Gaining very little recognition during his lifetime, his death in 1862 went virtually unnoticed, and his true genius as a social philosopher and writer was not fully recognized until the twentieth century. Ironically, Civil Disobedience, the anti-war, anti-slavery essay for which he is probably best known, has become a manual for social protest by giving support to the passive resistance of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other conscientious objectors (Paul 233). Thoreau’s Civil†¦show more content†¦Civil Disobedience, begins with the well-known motto - That government is best which governs least (852). This carried to its natural conclusion is no government at all, which he says will happen when people are prepared. Thoreau realizes that the immediate need is not for no government but for better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it (853). Thoreau asks whether it is not better to decide right and wrong by conscience which everyone has. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right (853). Thoreaus strong objection to the Mexican War was voiced as a central argument in Civil Disobedience when he urged individuals to resist lending support to a cause they did not believe in, even if they were in the minority. Not only should men refuse to fight in an unjust war, they should refuse to support the unjust government that conducts the war. Despite caring little for organized reform movements, Thoreau could not resist the cause of the abolitionists. Previously, he had helped some runaways and after the 1850 passage of the Fugitive Slave Law that called for the capture and return of runaway slaves, he delivered his Plea for Captain John Brown. OnceShow MoreRelatedThoreau Civil Disobedience Analysis812 Words   |  4 Pagesfirst. This set of principles and ideas is still in being carried out in our nation today, however it is necessary for more people to adopt this way of thinking. Thoreau explains throughout how an individual must conduct civil disobedience to begin a change that is morally correct. He talks a lot about the government and heavily criticizes it as the main cause to incite civil disobedience. It is mostly political and governmental reasons that Thoreau believes should be opposed. Thoreau directly statesRead MoreTranscendentalism and Transcendental Meditation1471 Words   |  6 Pagestranscendentalist writers and what they believed in. Though to the writers, transcendentalism was a fight for a belief, unknown to them they could have been fighting for the betterment of human health. The transcendentalist writings of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson have directly affected the health of modern society through the idea of transcendental meditation. Through modern science, scientists have linked increases in health among individuals through the use of transcendental meditationRead MoreThoreau On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience Rhetorical Analysis1250 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the duration of the Mexican American war, beginning in 1846, many attempts were made to gather support for the conflict. One citizen, who resided in Connecticut, showed much more drastic distest to this war than many others. Henry David Thoreau took both passive and active efforts to voice his antagonism to the conflict by refusing to pay a tax that he believed supported the ideology behind the war that the United States was partaking in at the time. Later, he contrived an essay that outlinedRead MoreHenry David Thoreaus Resistance To Civil Disobedience778 Words   |  4 Pagesinept weapon against political inequity; history, however, has persistently proven it to be the most dynamic weapon of the individual. By refusing to pay his taxes and subsequently being imprisoned, Henry David Thoreau demonstrated this very defiance. Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government conveys the effectiveness of the individual conscience, renounces hypocrisy, and cultivates a sense of urgency where inaction creates a moral conflict. This path of responsibility paved by Thoreau gave our leadersRead MoreYour Freedom Is Not Free Essay1645 Words   |  7 Pagesnineteenth century American writers stand out for their real-life dedication to freedom and non-conformity for seeking to free themselves from whatever shackles limited them from reaching their potentials, both literally and figuratively. Henry David Thoreau, Fredrick Douglass, and Ralph Waldo Emerson are exemplary writers of the nineteenth century who strove to articulate not only the ideas of freedom and justice, but also the means by which these ideals, which they themselves acted upon, might beRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s Civil Disobedience1013 Words   |  5 PagesIn Henry David Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, Thoreau makes the claim that the best form of government is a government that doesn’t govern at all. Thoreau’s paper pushe s for the people to begin following the will of their conscience rather than blindly and foolishly follow the unjust idea of â€Å"majority rule†. Throughout the paper Thoreau makes a point of stating that â€Å"majority rule† is simply the will of the upper-class being forced into action over the rights and wills of the poorer minority. ThisRead MoreCivil Disobedience By David Thoreau1257 Words   |  6 Pages 1849 Civil Disobedience In Civil Disobedience Thoreau argues against american society, and their democracy. Arguing about how the government barely proves themselves being useful in american society, and how the government also gets most of their power from a majority group, more because they are the strongest group in that society. Thoreau also argues that each person should live for themselves, and take advantage of their short time on earthRead MoreAnalysis Of Thoreau s Life Of New England875 Words   |  4 PagesThoreau characterizes life in New England as tough especially for immigrants, who are exploited for cheap labor. It is also a struggle for many people who live every day as they are expected to, but still do not find happiness, as seen through his example of the son who inherited his family’s farm but has no personal inclination to be farmer. Society is setting boundaries for what is accepted as good behavior and what is not, plus, there is an abundance of basic necessities beyond the r equired foodRead MoreDeTocquevilles Benefits of Democracy Compared With the Principles Found in Walden1680 Words   |  7 PagesThoreau’s Walden a reader will wonder whether or not the author is comfortable with the notion of living in a democratic government. To answer this question, it is useful to assess DeTocqueville’s benefits of democracy and compare them with the principles found in Walden. Of the first benefit, public spirit, DeTocqueville describes two types of patriotism. The first is based on a pride of family and country and â€Å"a reverence for traditions of the past,† resulting in a strong felt personal connectionRead MoreEssay on Emerson And Thoreau811 Words   |  4 Pagestried my hardest to follow. The words were taken from Thoreauamp;#8217;s quote, amp;#8220;If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau changed our lives. How? Well, the answer is not so simple as the statement. To understand fully how they affected our lives, we have to understand the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and the relationship between the two. So letamp;#8217;s