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The Life Of Thoreau
Issues surrounding civil disobedience
The Life Of Thoreau
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In 1848, David Thoreau addressed and lectured civil disobedience to the Concord Lyceum in response to his jail time related to his protest of slavery and the Mexican War. In his lecture, Thoreau expresses in the beginning “That government is best which governs least,” which sets the topic for the rest of the lecture, and is arguably the overall theme of his speech. He chastises American institutions and policies, attempting to expand his views to others. In addition, he advances his views to his audience by way of urgency, analyzing the misdeeds of the government while stressing the time-critical importance of civil disobedience. Thoreau addresses civil disobedience to apprise the people the need for a civil protest to the unjust laws created
As one of the most controversial condoned actions of the time, Thoreau deeply opposed the possession and treatment of slaves. He demonstrated his transgressions with the government’s approval of slavery through the refusal to pay taxes to the state and the church. Thoreau spoke to the people in order to entice them for the banishment of slavery through civil protest in his speech, he wanted to induce urgency within his message to obtain liberties for all and governmental equity. Through the use of rhetorical questions and repetition, both urgency and importance were conveyed in his speech to protest slavery. Thoreau was able to motivate a different, more impactful response from the audience in using rhetorical questions. Likewise, these are used to purposely prompt the audience to think about the point being made rather than elicit an answer. Further provoking the audience’s exploration into the objection to slavery and war, he expedited his own beliefs in the midst of constructing a commonly rejected belief with an urgent antidote for the people. Thoreau asks of the audience why one would allow unjust laws against others to exist: “Unjust laws exist: … transgress them at once? Why is it not more … provide for reform? Why does it not … minority?” It is these questions that support his purpose for change, he provides the audience with questions to elicit a calculated response that correlates with his beliefs. When Thoreau employs rhetorical questions, he applies several one after another. Therefore, it is this structure that sets the stage for his immediate messages to the audience and their need to respond. Also, just as the Mexican-American war was reiterated throughout the speech, slavery is in constant recognition as well. Like how repetition was used for the war, Thoreau presented the audience with a continual exposure to his
Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, in “Civil Disobedience” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” respectively, both conjure a definitive argument on the rights of insubordination during specified epochs of societal injustice. Thoreau, in his enduring contemplation of life and its purpose, insightfully analyzes the conflicting relationship between the government and the people it governs. He considerately evokes the notion that the majority of people are restrained by the government and society from making decisions with consideration of their conscience and that people need to overcome the reign of the government to realize their own ethics and morals. King, in accordance, eloquently and passionately contends the injustice presented in the unfair treatment of and the discriminatory attitude towards Blacks. Even though, Thoreau successfully accentuates his main concerns in his argument, his effectiveness in persuasion—appeals, conclusion, and practical application—pales in comparison to that of King’s.
King uses his position of being an American clergy man, devout Christian and a leader of the civil rights movement in order to push for civil rights against racial segregation and prejudices and bring more recognition and light towards African Americans. King uses various words and phrases to achieve the emotions of the audience to sympathize his state and to understand the sacrifices he has made towards the civil rights movement. Unlike Martin Luther King, Thoreau did not rule out using violence against an unjust government. When reviewing the rhetorical appeals of logos, ethos and pathos, King achieved a clear, more concise essay with greater emotional depth and a more relatable personality.
Henry David Thoreau, a transcendentalist who demanded for a “better government”, and Dr. Martin Luther KIng Jr, an activist who protested against the violently unjust laws, were both historical figures that we illustrate in today’s world. Ever since Thoreau’s essay, “Civil Disobedience”, Thoreau’s ideas influenced the world, for defining and using civil disobedience as it means of protest. Approximately 114 years later, one of the influenced people was Martin Luther King Jr , who wrote, “ Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, that expand and supported Thoreau’s ideas, from including direct action to American tradition of protest. Although the ideas expressed in, “Civil Disobedience” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, are quite similar, however the authors were fundamentally different between the occasion, their purpose, and appeals.
What is war? War is a conflict between two societies. That’s exactly what the Mexican-American War was, a conflict between two societies, The United States and Mexico. The United States was being greedy and wanted to expand to the Pacific Ocean. What was it for the United States to gain this much land, what was the purpose of starting this fight? When Texas gained its independence from Mexico, the United Sates didn’t want them as a part of the Union because the Northern states were against adding another state that housed slaves. There was also a border conflict between Mexico and the United States. President Polk thought it was a good idea to move American troops beyond the border, which caused Mexico to fire first. Henry Thoreau, an essayist, was best known for his expression of opinion towards President Polk, The Mexican-American War and slavery. Thoreau hated everything that the President stood for and was against the Mexican War, resulting in his outward protest towards the war through his refusal to pay taxes. He spent one night in jail as well to express his protest towards
In his essay on civil disobedience Thoreau encourages, in one of the important quotes from “Civil Disobedience”, “every man make known what kind of government would command his respect as one step toward obtaining it”. Civil disobedience is the strategy for believing one’s beliefs. As this thesis statement for “Civil Disobedience” suggests, the author acts on civil disobedience by explaining the thoughts and emotions that should guide it, and these include having a sense of rightness and moral
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau was one of the most important pieces of literature written in the mid-1800’s. This essay was written to argue against government intervention and that the people should take more responsibility and only support a government that pushes forward ideals that the general public supports. What marks Civil Disobedience as part of its time is its rejection of governmental control and favors individual liberty during the heart of the slavery debate.
In life, sometimes disagreements arise, yet we keep our opinions inward, we stay quiet about the issue. Other times, we fight back against the disagreements, and refuse to cave to the oppositions opinion. This is considered an act of disobedience. When displayed in a child’s character, it is usually considered normal. As an adult, however, when we speak up about our opinion and ask others to join us in common grounds, the act is viewed as civil disobedience. In his writings on civil disobedience, Henry David Thoreau tries to persuade his readers to change their views of the government by using ethos, pathos and logos. His works proved to be effective, and now, people have second thoughts about their government.
Henry Thoreau started his essay about Civil Disobedience by saying "That government is best which governs least." He thinks men will someday be able to have a government that does not govern at all as government sometimes proves to be useful. It is often abused and corrupt so that it no longer represents the will of the people. Throaue does not want people to be associated with government and he even tells people to avoid itched also felt that it is his duty to go against slavery. Through the attack he talks about loads of injustices happening Mexico and just don’t want to sit but want to do something. Thoreau's Civil Disobedience adopts the need of change because of hos ethics over the commands of laws. It analyzes American social and policies, mostly slavery and the Mexican-American War.
Thoreau begins “On The Duty of Civil Disobedience” with the paradoxical quote, “That government is best which governs least…” Thoreau’s ideal is that government should exist for the bettering over a body of people, and as Thoreau writes, “The standing army is only an arm of the standing government…” he initiates that the army does not solve the problems of the people, but it is only there for the government’s own unethical interest and benefit. Thoreau considers that the objections to a standing government deserve to prevail because the standing army and standing government both have fluctuant options.
Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau each write exemplary persuasive essays that depict social injustice and discuss civil disobedience, which is the refusal to comply with the law in order to prove a point. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King speaks to a specific audience: the African Americans, and discusses why he feels they should bring an end to segregation. Thoreau on the other hand, in “Civil Disobedience,” speaks to a broader, non-addressed audience as he largely expresses his feelings towards what he feels is an unjust government. Both essays however, focus on the mutual topics of morality and justice and use these topics to inform and motivate their audience to, at times, defy the government in order to establish the necessary justice.
Justice is often misconceived as injustice, and thus some essential matters that require more legal attention than the others are neglected; ergo, some individuals aim to change that. The principles of civil disobedience, which are advocated in both “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. to the society, are present up to this time in the U.S. for that purpose. To begin with, Thoreau expresses that civil disobedience should be more implemented when the just resistance of the minority is seen legally unjust to the structure conformed by the majority. Supporting his position, Thoreau utilizes the role of the national tax in his time; its use which demoralizes the foreign relationship of the U.S.; its use which “enables the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood”; its use which supports “the present Mexican War” (Thoreau 948, 940).
Henry David Thoreau argues “That government is best which governs least…That government is best which governs not at all” (1) as the first statement in his essay Civil Disobedience. They have thoroughly stated Thoreau’s attitude towards the idea of government and he later expresses more in the essay. Thoreau is a prominent American poet, philosopher, essayist, and lifelong abolitionist during the 19th century. As the supporter of Transcendentalism movement, he publishes many works to protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality at that time. His essay Civil Disobedience is one of his famous works to stand up for the ideas of prioritizing people’s conscience and ability of thinking before the policies of government, denouncing the corrupted United States government, and criticizing American social institutions and
Henry David Thoreau was a poet, social philosopher, and educator in the early to mid- 1800s (Hampton). He graduated from Harvard University in 1837 and, upon his return to his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, befriended Ralph Waldo Emerson, also a philosopher and poet (Hampton, “Ralph Waldo Emerson”). Emerson was also the leader of the Transcendentalist movement which was based on the idea that people should lead by example -- social reform begins with the individual, not the government -- and that the movement should be peaceful (Woodlief, Ruehl). Thoreau agreed with this approach until the United States invaded Mexico in May, 1846 (Brown, Witherell). Opposed to slavery, Thoreau saw the invasion of Mexico as an attempt by the government to extend slavery westward. In his essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” published in 1849 with the original title, “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau protests against the government and states that is a man’s duty to rise up against the government when the government commits a wrong (Thoreau). In his writings, Thoreau uses the three rhetorical approaches of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in his attempts to persuade his readers to his point of view (Heinrichs).
In his essay “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau says, “I heartily accept the motto, ‘The government is best which governs least.’” He then clarifies his true belief that is “The government is best which governs not at all” Thoreau considers civil disobedience to be a moral and social duty of American citizens. He defines civil disobedience as an act of willful resistance, achieved by disobeying laws he considered to be hypocritical. Civil disobedience has continued into today’s world, and I believe that as long as it is civil then it is an appropriate response to perceived injustice.
After the controversial election of US President Trump, many people have been utilizing civil disobedience to express their indignation. This is shown specifically by the response to Trump’s executive order restricting immigration from certain countries affiliated with Islam. According to the Huffington Post, “Saturday [February 4, 2017] marked the third straight weekend in which Washington was the site of anti-Trump demonstrations.” The citizens who protest this do so based on their sense of what is right. They profess that power does not necessarily imply a sense of justice. This is echoed in Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”, in which he insists there are flaws with the principle of majority rule. He asserts that if the majority takes the rest of the country in the wrong direction, there must be action by the minority to correct it. This is when civil disobedience becomes necessary to secure