Resistance To Civil Government By Henry David Thoreau

811 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: resistance to civil government by thoreau text

A government that creates laws and imposes extreme punishment to all who disobey those laws is a government that restricts individualism and true freedom. One of the many principals of Transcendentalism is the belief of individualism and personal freedoms. Famous transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau believes that doing what is right rather than legal, is completely justified if the law is morally unjust. A famous quote from Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Resistance to Civil Government” reads “I think that we should be men first and subjects afterward. 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.” The idea of breaking …show more content…

The idea that because something is law makes it right has become the mentality of many because why would the government pass a law that isn’t right? When laws are passed, they are supposed to be passed with the intent to make the nation a better place for all. Sadly, that is not always the case. For example, unfair laws towards women and people of color in the early nineteen hundreds were passed, discriminating against millions. While people of today can agree that those restrictive laws were unjust, many followed the law without question because that was their civil duty and if it’s law, it must be right. This mindset imposed by the government manipulates personal ideals and morals without …show more content…

Instead, the law should encourage good morals and values along with the acceptance of a justified disagreement. Henry David Thoreau says, “The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right,” encouraging the resistance to government instead of the violation of personal beliefs. Respect for a law that is not just is not respect at all, but encroachment on individual freedom. This individualistic way of thinking allows people to make changes and follow their intuitions for the

Show More
Related

  • Civil Disobedience In The Civil Divergent, By Henry David Thoreau

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout a series of books, and now movies known as Divergent they hit a lot of points as to what is believed as a “good society”. In the series, Divergent all must conform and fall into a certain category Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, or Amity . If one fails to do so, and falls into all of the categories they are known as “Divergent," and must be killed for failing to conform to traditional society standards and rules. This relates to Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, because he talks about humans not needing a form of structure set by a hierarchy, such as a government. A good society according to Thoreau, is one with little to no government involvement, one that respects laws to a certain extent, and one that follows

    Read More

  • Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mahatma Gandhi, a prominent leader in the independence movement of India once said, “Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state becomes lawless and corrupt.”(brainyquotes.com) Gandhi states that protest and civil disobedience are necessary when the authority becomes unscrupulous. This correlates to “Declaration of Independence,” by Thomas Jefferson; “Civil Disobedience,” by Henry David Thoreau; and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” by Martin Luther King Jr., because all three leaders felt that civil disobedience was important to help protest against an unjust ruling. Jefferson stood up to the injustice of the king by writing the Declaration of Independence and urged others to stand up for the independence of America. Thoreau exemplified

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the great era of foundational philosophers, two stand out, Plato and Thoreau. Each had their own opinion on various topics, especially on civil disobedience. Plato’s life span was approximately 428-348 BC. Plato wrote numerous works throughout his lifetime, however we will be focusing on one, the Crito. Thoreau’s life span was 1817-1862. To help us determine what civil disobedience means to both of these philosophers we will first look at a general definition. According to Merriam-Webster civil disobedience is defined as “refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government.” This definition will act as a springboard to compare and contrast both of their thoughts on the topic. We will determine, according to Plato and Thoreau, when we are called to engage in civil disobedience and when the moral parameters of civil disobedience are pushed too far.

    Read More

  • Walden ; And, Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    When one types “walden- genre?” into a search engine, the computed guess reveals wonders; “Best guess for Walden-Genre is Autobiography, Philosophy, Fiction, Nature”.Walden is less a novel and more an account of an unusual scholarly life with flourishes. Above all, its didactic tone imparts Thoureau’s view better than any straight manifesto could ever. The most emphasized Transcendental view in the book is the harmony of nature with human world views. Walden emphasizes nature’s ability to transform and impart wisdom and sprituality, much like its writer.

    Read More

  • Justice in Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    By definition justice means the quality of being just or fair. The issue then stands, is justice fair for everyone? Justice is the administration of law, the act of determining rights and assigning rewards or punishments, "justice deferred is justice denied.” The terms of Justice is brought up in Henry David Thoreau’s writing, “Civil Disobedience.”

    Read More

  • Thoreau’s Act of Civil Disobedience

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thoreau was once sent to jail for refusing to pay his taxes and I support this episode of civil disobedience as justified. Thoreau did not pay his taxes because he objected the use of the revenue to finance the Mexican War and enforcement of slavery laws. He did not request for his money to be used for the enforcement of slavery laws, therefore felt he had the right to protest and act out civil disobedience. Paul Harris defines civil disobedience as "an illegal, public, nonviolent, conscientiously motivated act of protest, done by someone who accepts the legitimacy of the legal and political systems and who submits to arrest and punishment" (2). Before I supported his civil disobedience, I opted to see if it was justified.

    Read More

  • Comparing Martin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau in his essay “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau asserts that men should react from their conscience. Thoreau believed it was the duty of a person to defy the law if his conscience says that the law is unjust. He believed this even if the law was made by a democratic action. Thoreau

    Read More

  • Civil Obedience And Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    Civil Disobedience occurs when an individual or group of people are in violation of the law rather than a refusal of the system as a whole. There is evidence of civil disobedience dating back to the era after Jesus was born. Jesus followers broke the laws that went against their faith. An example of this is in Acts 4:19-20,”God told the church to preach the gospel, so they defied orders to keep quiet about Jesus,” In my opinion civil disobedience will always be needed in the world. The ability to identify with yourself and knowing right from wrong helps to explain my opinion. Often in society when civil

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Henry Thoreau: Resistance To Civil Government

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Henry Thoreau’s essay, Resistance to Civil Government, the harmless actions he takes to rebel against the government are considered acts of civil disobedience. He talks about how the government acts wrongful such as, slavery and the Mexican-American war. This writing persuades Nathaniel Heatwole, a twenty-year-old college student studying at Guildford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, to take matters into his own hands, by smuggling illegal items on multiple Southwest airplanes. The reason in that being, is to show the people that our nation is unsafe and dangerous. In doing this, he takes his rebellion one step too far, by not only jeopardizing his life, but as well as many other innocent lives.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    This includes the need to prioritize one's conscience over the dictates of laws, based on the principle by Thoreau that we men should be first, and subjects afterwards. People have an important duty to refuse a government that is corrupt, and distance themselves from these unjust institutions.

    Read More

  • Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    In “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau claims that men should act from their conscience. Thoreau believed it was the duty of a person to disobey the law if his conscience says that the law is unjust. He believed this even if the law was made by a democratic process. Thoreau wrote that a law is not just, only because the majority votes for it. He wrote, “Can there not be a government in which the majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience?” (Thoreau, P. 4). Thoreau wanted a government in the United States that would make the just laws based on conscience, because the people of the country would not let the elected representatives be unfair. Thoreau did not think people can disobey any law when they want to. He believed that people should obey just laws; however, Thoreau thought that not all laws were right, and he wrote that a man must obey what is right, not what is the law: “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” (Thoreau, P. 4).

    Read More

  • Thoreau's Civil Disobedience and Walden

    1527 Words  | 4 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, author, poet, abolitionist, and naturalist. He was famous for his essay, “Civil Disobedience”, and his book, Walden. He believed in individual conscience and nonviolent acts of political resistance to protest unfair laws. Moreover, he valued the importance of observing nature, being individual, and living in a simple life by his own values. His writings later influenced the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In “Civil Disobedience” and Walden, he advocated individual nonviolent resistance to the unjust state and reflected his simple living in the nature.

    Read More

  • Socrates And Thororeeau And Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although they bear some smashing similarities, the difference between Socrates and Thoreau’s arguments are they both believe that humans are only virtuous beings. And that their views on people and the government are divergent. In “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, he wrote an essay in 1849 about the American policies being criticized it argues that people should not permit governments to overrule or impair their consciences, and how the American slavery and Mexican-American war was going on. He argues that the problems were really about changing the government and how it works. He states that he’s just basically washing his hands and refusing to follow any laws followed by the government. Since they strip of their powers from the

    Read More

  • Thoreau's Ideal Form Of Government

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thoreau believed that the best government is the one that governs least. His goal was to see his ideal way of how government should operate be adopted in the least time possible and in and it be done in carefully organize stages (Perkins 250). For his master plan would be fully implemented when all the people accepted that a government should not govern at all.

    Read More

More about Resistance To Civil Government By Henry David Thoreau

Open Document