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Henry David Thoreau And Confucius Comparison

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Where there is Energy: there is life Having Energy means having life yet we are running out of fuel. How are we going to survive if our energy sources are depleting. We must make a change. Confucius and Henry David Thoreau would argue upon whose responsibility the stewardship of natural resources would depend on, but both would agree that either the individuals, or a society should take action. Henry David Thoreau especially supported the interaction between man and nature. With his experiment at Walden, he addresses a modern concept known as minimalism, focusing on the way one must supply for himself with his basic necessities. His intentions were not to isolate himself, but moreso to separate himself from a life dependent upon others. Through his actions, he is able to criticise society and many of their needs. …show more content…

Many of his teachings implemented filial piety, or in a broader sense, the relationships between man and society. Confucius often examines the duty of one man being ruled by a government. Yet, he focuses on a balance between individuals and government, suggesting that they maintain a symbiotic relationship. Confucius explores the role one plays in society, and vice versa. Both Thoreau and Confucius placed value on relationships. They both emphasised that each person has some responsibility. While, Confucius would view the management of natural resources be in government's control, due to a balance between the government and the people and their needs. Government serves the people as the people serve the government. Arguably, Thoreau would emphasise the implementation of minimalism into the lifestyle of the average citizen, as the duties should be managed by the people over the state, believing “That government is best which governs

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Mr. Thoreau argues that people should not allow any government to control or atrophy their thoughts or beliefs. Mr. Thoreau was an also remained a devoted abolitionist and has written

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Thoreau and Machiavelli ideologies are similar because they both describes how leaders and people should response towards each other. Thoreau conclude in his essay that our government system is flaws therefore we must create a new form of government. He implies that people should resist unjust laws because government system are corrupt and reveals machinery people should stop listening to them without questioning. In the essay he indicate that “legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders, serve the State chiefly with their heads; and, as they rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God”. This clearly supports the author view on our government system is vicious because they serve as evil and they hide their

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The main similarity in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Henry David Thoreau is the idea of revolution against an abusive government. The main difference is the context in which each document was written, the Declaration of Independence as the colonies were rebelling against Great Britain and forming their own government, and Civil Disobedience as criticisms of the government developed within nearly seventy-five years after the signing of the Declaration. Both Jefferson and Thoreau share ideas of revolution, although overthrowing the government is seen in many cases as illegal. Both documents share a common theme of revolution, and both authors believe the best way to move toward a better government is civil disobedience. Jefferson and Thoreau believe that whether it is the struggle for independence or being freed from injustices of the government, civil disobedience and revolution are necessary in order to live in a society based on freedom.

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Of course, before the quote he was also known for protesting over that nature is the key to everything. Nature is the only way to live free in liberty. “The government is best which govern not at all,” Thoreau stated. To this Thoreau wanted a government that had no control over the people, indicating that the government were then people. But he also supported that you must only get what you need not what

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2650 Words | 11 Pages

Some of Thoreau’s best-known ideas include civil disobedience and simple living and environmentalism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy shows Thoreau’s ethics and beliefs including his best-known ideas. In the subsection “Nature and Human Existence” the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy talks both about Thoreau's ties with nature, and simple living. One of the issues the section discusses is how Thoreau doesn’t consider aesthetic beauty to be real and how he “exhorts us to unclutter and simplify our lives, by eliminating the supposed necessities that can entrap us when we mistakenly construe them as essential” (“Henry David Thoreau” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

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The Big Picture: Thoreau's Step Back From Society Viewed Alongside Society Today The proximity in which someone is from civilization can have a great influence on their thoughts and ideas about civilization and the nature that they live in. Henry David Thoreau spent a lot of his life moving around from the likes of New York City to Walden Pond; while squatting, as he referred to his stays in these places, he wrote some of his most interesting and notable works such as Civil Disobedience (1849) and Walden (1854). Noted as a transcendentalist, Thoreau was quite thoughtful of his surroundings as they gave great meaning to his life; the most meaningful of which was Walden Pond, an escape that overlooks Concord, Massachusetts, where he spent

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Although both Confucius and Mencius have a lot in common with regards to governance, the two do have varying opinions on certain matters such as the legitimacy when rulers are overthrown, and the relationship between the ruler and his people. In precedence to coming up with policies and administrative measures, one has to first consider the issue of human nature as it plays an essential role in the development of a state 's political system. In the Confucian philosophy, the belief is that goodness is innate in humans and that everyone shares this same trait [子曰：“性相近也，习相远也。”] (Analects, 17.2). Mencius further elaborated on this doctrine by stating that it is mankind’s natural tendency to be kind to others, just as water would naturally flow downwards (Mencius, 6A2).

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As their are many reasons of Gandhis and Thoreau, they both have different influences. Gandhi and Thoreau are influential people that changed history today The first things in common with Gandhi and Thoreau is they talk about the problems like the laws. Gandhi and Thoreau don’t agree in what the government does such as having to pay a lot of taxes. The only

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Henry David Thoreau is one of the most influential writers of the nineteenth century. Thoreau’s remarkable journey to ‘find himself’ is published in 1854 and given the name, Walden. This novel is written over a course of two years, two months, and two days and during this time Thoreau does everything in his power to seclude himself from society and “the luxuries, and so many of the so-called comforts of life” because he says they are “positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind” (Thoreau 19). Thoreau’s views are very centered on self reflection and the problems within society. His main goal is to leave a lasting positive effect on the community with his deep insight on what he believes people need.

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You can’t walk in the woods and see a leaf that doesn’t quite know if it wants to fall to the ground or stay on the tree. Thoreau noticed this, and thought that if people could be decisive in the same way that nature was, then they could “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life… live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put as to put to rout all that was not life… cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner…” (Walden 771) This is something that Thoreau highly valued. He wanted to live as his own person, which was, in his mind, best accomplished by living in nature and not being involved with the government.

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I attempt to seek this claim in my personal life by taking away all material wealth including technology and focusing on enjoying nature around me and what it has to offer. (CS) Thoreau mentions we need to create self-reliance and discover true individuality in

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During the Era of Warring States, China was in the state of intellectually growth while being jostled around for power simultaneously. During this time, It brought many philosophies such as: Legalism, is about social stability that was based around the government, Confucianism’s ideas that were based around tightly knit rules, and Daoism was based around freedom and connecting one with nature. Also producing sacred writings from philosophers at this time as well. Chinese philosophies Philosophies and sacred writings provided new insight of how to manage and fix their own government as well, affecting their people. Legalism, founded by Han Fei Zi and Li Su, thought of new ideas about how to run society, in a way with strict laws, as it also

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In his essay Walden, Thoreau affirms the Transcendentalist belief of living simply by emphasizing the thought of living with only the essentials and the importance of self reliance. Thoreau supports the ideal of living simply through the emphasis of only living with what one needs. Simplicity exists

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Each has its place in the hierarchy of the earth and all the relationships between people are subject to the same rules. In the understanding of Confucius ritual is a necessary rein to feelings and impulses that keeps them under control of the mind. Confucianism’s moral philosophy is based on the principle that man, being a small part of the whole of nature, a microcosm, is itself the general qualities of nature's order, justice, kindness, honesty. Therefore, it is enough for man to be trained and to be directed in order to improve. Perfection is given to them by example by their ancestors.

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Reading about nature can only do so much to satisfy ones curiosity since they are learning about it through someone else’s perspective. Henry David Thoreau decided to learn about nature on through experiencing it. He immerges himself directly into nature to become one with it. In his book Walden he describes his time living at Walden Pond. Through his time at Walden his was able to separate himself from society and expectations that it creates.

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