Preview

Thoreau's Philosophy Of Civil Disobedience

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
128 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Thoreau's Philosophy Of Civil Disobedience
The one night he only spent in jail, he was released by a wealthy friend who could not bear to see him in that place. Thoreau states “unjustly, the true place for a man is also prison”, but his actions contradict this. (7). Thoreau’s philosophical take on civil disobedience would have changed had he had to spend a year or a decade in prison, or in a prison that was full of hardened criminals. Looking at Thoreau’s experience and holding it up with his writings on the philosophy of civil disobedience is hypocrisy. This hypocrisy that is shown by not experiencing the response in any meaningful way. Civil Disobedience is a work that everyone should read, that has much to offer despite the inconsistency of its author’s
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau Essay
    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau Essay

    The great author Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." Thoreau's quote is trying to express that in life we sometimes try so hard to accomplish things and gain status that we tend to forget what we are really after is happiness. People often believe that certain things will bring them happiness such as money, jobs, and material possessions. However, after they acquire these things instead of feeling contentment they feel a sense of emptiness.…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Henry David Thoreau Use Rhetoric In Civil Disobedience
    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Does Henry David Thoreau Use Rhetoric In Civil Disobedience

    The essay Civil Disobedience, written by Henry David Thoreau has much to do with Thoreau’s own experiences than a general perception of people as a whole. Thoreau, a stellar student from Harvard believed one key idea: change begins with the individual. With this belief Thoreau in 1846 spoke out against the Mexican American War and slavery. His response resulted in the deliberate obliviousness to his taxes. In July of 1846 Thoreau was arrested for not paying his taxes and spent a night in Jail. During this time Thoreau wrote about the laws enforced by the government must be based on conscience rather than majority appeal.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tim Dechristopher
    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Tim Dechristopher

    Thoreau, a Harvard philosopher, wrote in 1849 an essay explaining himself, who spent a night in jail to protest taxes that funded the Mexican-American War. Likewise, Tim Dechristopher, an environmental activist in 2008, disrupted the bid for oil drilling leases, to hinder and protest the destruction of the environment. Thoreau explains his antithesis, “If [U.S. Citizens] pay the tax from a mistaken interest in the individual taxes, to save his property, or prevent his going to jail, it is because they have not considered wisely how far they let their private feelings interfere with the public good” (Thoreau 3, 10). Hence, he states that doing unjust and illegal activities is justifiable, if it boosts public welfare. Similarly, Dechristopher’s illegal act of fraud is justified in the New York Times article, “Activist said the sale would threaten Utah’s wild lands and spoil the view from some of the state’s spectacular national parks with drilling rigs” (Associated Press 11). As many environmental activists agree, the public welfare of the people relies on the health of the environment. Seeing Dechristopher verbally support his own act of civil disobedience, and in like manner, Thoreau justifying his act and accepting it, it is deducted that they are both embodiments of civil disobedience. If civil disobedience was construed, Thoreau and…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Thoreau's Civil Disobediance
    • 237 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of Thoreau's Civil Disobediance

    In "Civil Disobediance", by Thoreau, Thoreau claims that there should be improvement from the government, and that people should fight for it. Thoreau uses paradox, and similes to convince his readers that they should take the initiative to speak up.…

    • 237 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Thoreau's The Apology And Civil Disobedience
    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Comparing Thoreau's The Apology And Civil Disobedience

    The Apology and Civil Disobedience are two famous literatures that depict the principles or basic premises of Socrates and Henry David Thoreau, respectively. The Apology, however was written by Plato based on his depiction of Socrates’ defense speech when he was put on trial for “corrupting the youth and impiety.” Principles found in Socrates’ speech to the men of Athens (jurors) can be compared and contrasted to principles of Henry David Thoreau which can be located in his essay, Civil Disobedience.…

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Epigraph: Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau
    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Epigraph: Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau

    "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, an obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away from the inhospitable board. The hospitality was as cold as the ices." - Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life In The Woods…

    • 956 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Letter From A Birmingham Jail By Rev. Martin Luther King
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Summary Of Letter From A Birmingham Jail By Rev. Martin Luther King

    After reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time for this essay, I realized what true civil disobedience was. Rev. King understood that his…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Henry David Thoreau's Beliefs
    • 73 Words
    • 1 Page

    Henry David Thoreau's Beliefs

    Henry David Thoreau was a environmental scientist, American philosopher, and a poet. Henry David Thoreau’s work has been seen having foreshadowed central insights of later philosophical movements like pragmatism and existentialism. He was a leading figure in the Transcendentalist movement. Thoreau is on of the most Transcendentalists today because of his ecological consciousness, independence, commitment to abolitionism, his thought of peaceful resistance. His poem style and habit of close observation are still…

    • 73 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Disobedience Rhetorical Analysis
    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page

    Civil Disobedience Rhetorical Analysis

    “Civil Disobedience” by Henry Thoreau warns its readers that we are at the mercy of our government and have no power as a minority that conforms to the majority, which represses our desire to resist the wrongs we believe in without the support of the masses. The place for an honorable, just man is within prison, which he explains through his personal experience. In part 1, Thoreau exposes how the government is without a conscience, susceptible to corruption for their own advantage, and are served not by men but by “machines” (5). We are left “to the mercy of chance” under the power of the majority. Part 2 explains that Thoreau didn’t believe in the voting system so would not pay poll tax, and was sent to jail only to find that he felt more…

    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of Thoreau's Unjust Government
    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Thoreau's Unjust Government

    Thoreau begins his essay by arguing that the government intervenes too much and it would be better if they were not involved at all. He believes men are too absent minded and do whatever the government says without thinking about their morals. Those who listen and follow the government are not wise and do not trust their conscience.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience: A Nonviolent Mindset
    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience: A Nonviolent Mindset

    King was influenced by the works of Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. He studied his work while at Morehouse, and was impressed with his concept of civil disobedience (McElrath & Andrews, 2007). King was intrigued by the possibilities of Thoreau’s method. Thoreau stated that it was better to “break the law than to participate in the injustice toward another person” (McElrath & Andrews, 2007).…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience
    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages

    David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    David Henry Thoreau, through his writings, influenced the Martin Luther King, Jr. in his quest for equal rights. Not only is this evidenced in King’s actions, but King partially attributes his methods to the inspiration of Thoreau. In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau promotes resisting unjust government actions. Although not opposed to violent solutions, Thoreau encourages less aggressive measures. Specifically, Thoreau gave the example of refusing to pay certain taxes. Following this idea, King writes in detail about nonviolent resistance in his first book, Stride Toward Freedom. King describes how one of Thoreau’s works was his original inspiration for his peaceful approach explaining, “. . . I read Thoreau’s Essay on Civil Disobedience for…

    • 304 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    "Civil Disobedience" vs "Huck Finn" (a contrast between authors and ideas)
    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages

    "Civil Disobedience" vs "Huck Finn" (a contrast between authors and ideas)

    In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau expresses his strong disapproval of the American government. He even makes the following statement: "the best government is the one that governs the least." This quote shows us that Thoreau really does have a strong dislike for the government and that he will rebel against it. Thoreau does in fact rebel against the government by not paying his taxes. This causes him to suffer one night in jail. In his isolation, he is able to think, and concludes that he would rather be in jail than out in the real world.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Thoreau's Theory Of Civil Disobedience
    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Thoreau's Theory Of Civil Disobedience

    In order to understand Thoreau’s claim, we must first understand what civil disobedience is. Many people assume that the “civil” part of civil disobedience means that the disobedience is “courteous and polite.” This assumption isn’t necessarily true, however, because, in this case, “civil” retains its original meaning: “of or relating to the state.” (The “civil” in civil rights means the same thing.) Therefore, civil disobedience literally means “the act of…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience
    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    The purpose of both Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is to talk about the injustice law in the society. Thoreau explains how the government is run by the majority “because they are physically the strongest” (941). Thoreau believes a society “in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice” (941). Thoreau suggests to the audience that it is necessary to “resist” the injustice “for the most part” (942). Similarly, King states that “one has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws,” and that “conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (265). Through non-violence protest, both Thoreau and King are encouraging their audience to take the duty of civil…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More