Comparing Civil Disobedience And Kreeft's Ten Lies Of Contemporary Culture

Henry David Thoreau was a philosopher and political activist who wrote “Civil Disobedience”, an essay regarding his thoughts on the government and its laws. Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist and leader of the civil rights movement who wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, a letter explaining his non-violent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. Both Thoreau and King express civil disobedience and believe that the government is based on unjust laws. So, what would they think of Peter Kreeft’s speech, “Ten Lies of Contemporary Culture”? Kreeft’s address describes how, for the last few generations, commencement speakers have discussed ten “comfortable” lies they believe we need. Three lies Kreeft discusses are that you can save the

Kreeft’s third lie states, “The world needs you, that you can save the world”. Kreeft believes that it is selfish to think the world needs you and that in reality, you cannot save it. Thoreau repeatedly talks about the individual in his essay; therefore, he would disagree with Kreeft’s opinion that the world does not need you. Mostly because of the fact that this is a very self-centered lie, and he heavily values the individual. Once broken down, it is easy to see why Kreeft considers the statement a lie, but on a surface level, it’s understandable how it can be perceived as truth. Statements like these can also be encouraging and if one were to think that the world did not need them, then what would be the point of anything? King would also disagree with Kreeft because if he truly thought the world did not need him then he would not have gone to jail or fought for what he believed in. Both King and Thoreau did what they thought was right because they believed they could make a change in the world and that the world needed

The next lie is lie number seven which is about peace and justice. It states, “Demand Justice and nothing more”. Kreeft explains, “If you can’t deny the very existence of your enemies… then at least don’t forgive them”. He is saying that justice is not about forgiveness but about retribution. In “Civil Disobedience”, Thoreau challenges the idea that the laws the government sets out for us are based on justice. He says, “If it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law” (Par 13). Thoreau wants justice so much; he believes if you must break a law to get it, you should. From Thoreau’s point of view, he just wants the government to do what is right, he is not asking for forgiveness. King, on the other hand, thinks that people should get what they are owed, and, in this case, it is justice. He states, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Par 6). King also wants justice for his community, he talks about them being lynched, drowned, cursed at, and kicked. All while he is explaining how people are hurting those around him, he is still composed in his letter, he even apologizes at the end, if his explanation seemed too unreasonable. King does not just want justice; he wants forgiveness from the people bringing him and his community injustice for what is happening to