Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau's Religions
Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau are by no means religious in any traditional
sense of the word. If, however, “religious” is taken to mean the “belief in any sort of supreme
being...that obliges ethical or moral conduct”, then both Franklin and Thoreau fall into this
category. Though the two are strikingly opposite in their manner and social interaction, they are
both held to a religious and personal standard. Their individual spiritual beliefs, ethical codes,
and their “quality of life”show that all of their actions and thoughts are held by themselves to a
higher standard.
Both men have specific beliefs about the existence of God and man’s place in the world.
Franklin is a self-proscribed “deist”, one who believes in God but not church, because of its
nature. His attitude was that man runs the church, it’s the beliefs that are important, the praising
and honoring of God on a daily basis, not the institution. Throughout the Autobiography, he
mentions his prayers and the fact that he enjoyed going to non-formal sermons. He also
supported the church monetarily for the benefit of others. Thoreau did none of these things, but
he was still a highly spiritual individual. He did not proscribe to any particular religion but did
hold the belief in one supreme being who created the universe. He believed that one should have
a true experience with the world according to how it was made and that man was endowed with
common sense by the creator. He says that humans “no longer camp as for a night, but have
settled down on earth and forgotten heaven”( Thoreau 25). This is why he believed societ...
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Philadelphia. This is consistent with his religious views. Thoreau on the other hand was anti-
machine, almost anti-society. He said that there are “a thousand [people] hacking at the branches
of evil to one who is striking at the root” (Thoreau 51). He believed society would be better off
not through inventions but if every individual took it upon themselves to find their own true path.
Though differing, these two views express the same idea: leading humanity towards what is right.
Regardless of their differences, Franklin and Thoreau are focused on a spiritual,
humanist, non-shallow viewing of the world. Both don’t just do things because it is the thing to
do or out of fear, but because of their beliefs. They feel obliged to a higher conduct because of
their religious views of the world, whether “religious” or not.
similarity they share is that to not judge people based on there looks. Some people judge right
life, and acting upon his responsibilities in order to follow with his heart, instead of with
To conclude, Thoreau believed that people should be ruled by conscience and that people should fight against injustice through non-violence according to “Civil Disobedience.” Besides, he believed that we should simplify our lives and take some time to learn our essence in the nature. Moreover, he deemed that tradition and money were unimportant as he demonstrated in his book, Walden. I suggested that people should learn from Thoreau to live deliberately and spend more time to go to the nature instead of watching television, playing computer games, and among other things, such that we could discover who we were and be endeavored to build foundations on our dreams.
He didn 't believe that the world should stop work and live off the land, on the contrary, he believed, “The human dignity, wild life force and freedom were preserved within such a working process. Thoreau believed that labor was not only the activity that could bring material profits, but also a play which make man complete and developed simultaneously” (Ma 384). Thoreau 's work was experiencing nature and living transcendentally in order to share the quality of life that nature provides. We see Thoreau in many aspects of today 's society whether it 's Lisa from The Simpsons, a means of transportation, or political protests, they all follow a Thoreauvian idea of looking at the bigger picture and seeing what really matters. This way of thinking was created because one man decided that society was too mainstream and he moved off to the edge of town and reflected; people these days that do that are referred to as “hipsters” but the influence had to come from somewhere, and that was Henry David Thoreau. A closer reading of Thoreau 's works can put a new perspective on a common thing and provide a new outlook on life. Thoreau was not one to preach rather do something about it, not for the money or the fame but because of his “love of life— reverence for all the life in the
what they believe in. The similar that both of authors for the common themes is that they
In conclusion, by temporarily removing himself from society and thrusting himself into nature, we are better able to understand how Thoreau conveys his attitude towards life. He believes that in order to enjoy it one must free himself or herself from the high-tempo nature of society, live life more simplistically, and experience the reality that is hidden by all the things that are irrelevant in our
Henry Thoreau's voice speaks of individuality, that is dependent upon unconformity and simplicity. Thoreau believes one must escape societal expectations,“ If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer (Thoreau ).”, to find true individualism. He presumes that if tradition and conformity are extinguish the individual will be able to shape his or her own path and not be stuck on the beaten down trail. If one disregards expectations and heads, “...in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours ( Thoreau
In “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau emphasizes the need for self-reliance (“Clendenning”). This statement is fitting because Thoreau was one of the most self-reliant men of his time period. He was an individual and enjoyed nature. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) is closely related to the Transcendentalism movement, which lasted a mere ten years in the 1830s and 1840s. Transcendentalism is the belief of self-reliance, individuality, social reform, and relying on reason. Henry David Thoreau’s love of nature, languages, and contemporary English, as well as the growth of Transcendentalism greatly influenced the life of this great American Author.
Thoreau believed that if a man did less work, the better it would be for the man and his community. He set out to accomplish this task, and accomplished not working, but failed to prove his point. He died at age forty-five, younger then most people in his time, and although he did benefit his community, doing little labor only shortened his life, and proved no better for the community.
Henry David Thoreau once stated, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” (Thoreau 906). However, Thoreau believes that living in nature is the only true way to live. Thoreau’s writings have produced generations of readers to view their duty to society, nature, and themselves. However, Thoreau writes a novel that is called Walden. Thoreau is known for transcendentalism and simple living. Transcendentalism is an idealistic individual central of society. With this being said, as a transcendentalist, Thoreau believes that each individual’s should have the power to live a deliberate
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
Henry David Thoreau and Benjamin Franklin had a lot of similar ways of life. The men didn’t believe in the Christian religious conviction of the time. Franklin supported Deism, in which people think that God shaped human beings and the soil, but would not get in the way of human development in it. Thoreau supported Transcendentalism, which is the faith that human beings are independent, unique people, who are one with the natural world. The beliefs of both these philosophers were very different than what the rest of society deemed socially acceptable, but this did not affect them in the least bit. In fact, their religious beliefs are part of what made these men such influential figures in American history. Franklin’s beliefs in Deism reflect his outlook on life. He was a very driven, hard-working person who, if he discovered a problem with society, he would do everything in his power to fix it. The fact that Deists believe that God will not get in the way of human development suggests that He will not fix one’s problems for them. They are expected to fix it themselves, which is exactly what Franklin ...
his to the door of his church and was not afraid to voice his opinion,
into a richer experience of worship and a more effect life of service" (Crabb, 1977, p.31). The method to establishing an
his life around. We all must do this if we want to be followers of