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How Does Thoreau Support Civil Disobedience

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The act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences is known as “Civil Disobedience”. Individuals practicing acts of civil disobedience retain a compelling impact on society; often determining the outcomes of large-scale issues. It is affirmed through the evaluation of both historical and current instances that defiance against unjust laws positively impacts free society through the protection of civil liberties. Through the teachings of Henry David Thoreau, it is understood that a person’s individuality, and nature to express themselves, is a crucial aspect of preserving civil liberties. Within his texts, Thoreau would commonly represent the mind as a beautiful and complicated object that has great potential when given proper foundation and support. To protect the freedoms of expressing individualism, Thoreau actively supported civil disobedience. In his essay, "Resistance to Civil Government", Thoreau expresses his strong belief that the “mind is the only reality, of which all other natures are better or worse reflectors” (Schneider). Henry David Thoreau understands that the only true reality is what is anticipated by one’s own individual perspective and that no other force may demonstrate one’s ideas without outward forcefulness. …show more content…

Gandhi practiced means of non-violent protest in order to obtain the goals he shared with his followers and partners. Mahatma Gandhi actively led in boycotts, fasts, and marches that disobeyed the current governments ("Mahatma Gandhi" 4). It was Gandhi’s ambition to obtain societal liberties through the resistance of laws viewed to be unjust. Through his actions of non-violent protest, Gandhi was able to provide a positive impact by ensuring the success of India’s independence from English

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Throughout history there have been many political changes that are either supported, or not, by citizens. In the given passage from, "Civil Disobedience," by Thoreau, a perspective of disagreeing with the government ways, is provided. Thoreau explains how a government should be in comparison to how it really is by utilizing his words to set the tone and mode, imagery to achieve his audience's understanding, and diction to make his writing scholarly. Although tone and mode are not directly stated, you can infer that Thoreau meant for his writing to be taken as serious and powerful. His implementation of words such as, "inexpedient," "execute," " integrity," and "command," makes one think about their lawful rights and reflect on what rights are supported or

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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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No matter how much the nation progresses, there will always be times where civil disobedience is desirable. When there is good, there will be evil; and we must recognize when to act against it. The idea of civil disobedience is still applied today through the influence of Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr., as society will be constantly going against government ideals. Thoreau’s position on civil disobedience is that he believes breaking laws is necessary towards a government with unjust laws. He believes in having a better government that does not control and abuse the people; being “at best but an expedient” (Thoreau 240).

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Thomas Darr Mrs. O’Sullivan American Lit. Adv. 15 March 2023 What does Henry David Thoreau propose in his essay “Resistance to Civil Government,” and how did Thoreau’s proposal influence the histories of the Republic of India and the United States of America? Introduction Hook: In 1849, “Resistance to Civil Government” was written by Henry David Thoreau out of spite towards the government, but little did he know the impact it would have on movements across the globe. Background Information: Civil disobedience was published in 1849 by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau wrote Civil disobedience to portray his dislike of government and the laws they force people to follow.

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The key to deconstructing Thoreau's argument is to understand his hierarchy of government and the individual. Thoreau's ideal communion between the individual and the state is manifest by the individual as a "higher and independent power". This relationship is entertained in Civil Disobedience in the analysis of Thoreau's 1846 imprisonment, in which Thoreau demonstrated freedom as an internal and subjective

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Henry David Thoreau’s “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” (first presented in 1848 and first published 1849) insists, — “That government is best which governs least”, or alternatively, — “That government is best which governs not at all.” Thoreau develops and supports his thesis statement by explaining what government is at best (an expedient) and usually is (inexpedient), and by giving a specific and current example to his readers. The author’s purpose was to educate the masses regarding civil disobedience, teaching them not only that it’s allowed, but that it’s a duty upon them in order to create an ideal government or even world. Thoreau’s intended audience is clearly the people who, as Thoreau himself said, “would not have consented to

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Within Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, he greatly emphasizes the impact of a government that functions off the consent of the people, whilst in the process putting the people's power and authority above the government’s in an effort to create a truly free State, both of which are still seen within modern society where the government derives no power if it does not have the consent of those it governs, as well as granting its citizens the right to vote and partake in governmental decisions. When Thoreau speaks about how “the authority of government… must have the sanction and consent of the governed. It can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it”, he shows that with the rights the people are given as american citizens,

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Thoreau explains that the state and societies prison “never intentionally confronts a man’s sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength” and furthermore that he “was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion” (1990). Therefore, Resistance to Civil Government is validating that prison is confinement and conformity, however, Thoreau will not be conforming to any such conformist state and neither should the reader. Thoreau finally reinforces that he is “not responsible for the successful working of the machinery of society” and that “if a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies; and so man” (1990), Thoreau is explicating that society needs to be responsible for its self and become self-reliant, just as an individual should be, because it is the nature of the world and society and if it cannot live as such then it will not continue

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“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves” Henry David Thoreau or David Henry Thoreau grew up to work in a pencil factory, later on to graduate from Harvard to become one of the most recognized author/poet to inspired and lead the lives of many with his two most famous books known as “Civil Disobedience” and “Walden”. The reason why I’m writing about Henry David Thoreau is to inform and show how much of an impact he is to anyone who has ever read anything he has ever written. This paragraph will be about how Thoreau’s working paragraph “Civil Disobedience” became what it is today and why it’s as popular now than it was before. When Thoreau first wrote his paragraph “Civil Disobedience” it was due to the fact that Thoreau didn’t

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In the eyes of Henry David Thoreau, civil disobedience is the concept of people standing up for what they believe is corruption—even if the rest of society disagrees—through refusal to comply by conducting peaceful protests and boycotting. Throughout history, numerous groups of people have been seen conducting civil disobedience by the precedent of Thoreau’s works to successfully reform dishonorable elements of the law. A specific instance of this is the African Americans who transformed a discriminating society through nonviolent defiance through events such as the March on Washington. The 1963 March on Washington exemplifies the beliefs of Henry Thoreau in his essay, On The Duty of Civil Disobedience, by the planning of a congregation of

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Therefore, Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” shows both normative and descriptive definitions of morality and how they work together in Thoreau’s argument. Furthermore, although Thoreau’s

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Have you ever found a law that was set in place by the government to be unjust? Civil disobedience is the “active, public, conscientious breach of the law to bring about change in law or public policy” (thekingcenter.org). Henry David Thoreau, an American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher coined the term civil disobedience in 1848. Under the terms of civil disobedience, if a citizen felt that a law was unjust or did not go along with their beliefs then they were “given permission” to disobey the law. There is much controversy that comes with civil disobedience because what might look like an oppressive government to some can be the legally elected one and in that case, civil disobedience is seen as an act of Treason.

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In Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”, he believed that any and all forms of control are in fact a form of government. Thoreau believes that when relating to democracy, the “government is best which

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Some might call civil disobedience patriotic but according to the definition given when it’s just a form of breaking the law. The normal act of civil disobedience we are accustomed to usually takes place in the form of peaceful protest. “if one were to judge these men wholly by the effects of their actions and not partly by their intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievous persons who put obstructions on the railroads.” -David Thoreau. Civil disobedience is situational and can not be judged without looking at the cause of conflict Thoreau raises the viewpoint that people have when looking at civil disobedience.

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The central question raised by the philosophical concept of civil disobedience—the duty each citizen has to uphold the laws of the state—has been debated throughout history. In his essay On Civil Disobedience, Thoreau argued that people have a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws, posing the question of which to follow. This essay can be seen as a refutation of Socrates' claims in the Crito regarding our duty to uphold the laws of the land. The famous quote from Thoreau that emphasizes his belief that government should not meddle in people's lives more than is necessary is, "'Government is best which governs least.'" Henry David Thoreau thought that the American government was becoming corrupt and that every citizen should express their

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