Preview

David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience: A Symbol Of Peaceful Resistance

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
67 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience: A Symbol Of Peaceful Resistance
Henry David Thoreau, the Harvard-educated 19th-century philosopher and poet, remains a major symbol of peaceful resistance because of his 1849 work, "Civil Disobedience," in which he questions why people would obey a government whose laws they believe to be unjust. On account of his opposition to slavery, Thoreau refused to pay taxes, an act that briefly landed him in jail in 1846 (a relative bailed him

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    "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
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau is one of the most interesting men I have ever encountered in my readings. Thoreau decided to isolate himself from all of civilization, far away from any neighborhood, town, business or governing body. In doing so he wished to discover what mankind could not teach him. In Walden and Civil Disobedience, he recorded his findings.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin King and Henry Thoreau both write persuasive expositions that oppose majority ideals and justify their own causes. While this similarity is clear, the two essays, "Letters from Birmingham Jail" by King and "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau, do have their fair share of differences. Primarily in the causes themselves, as King persuades white, southern clergy men that segregation is an evil, unjust law that should be defeated through the agitation of direct protesting, and Thoreau, writing to a more broad, non addressed audience, and focusing more on the government itself, contends that at its present state, with the war with Mexico and the institution of slavery, that one should do as he does and refuse to pay government taxes that support such evil practices or "traditions." While both Thoreau and King prevail in establishing a firm impression for what they strongly believe in, they each succeed in their persuasive efforts through different means. Chiefly, in the way that King draws emotional appeal with the usage of a burning passion and devotion, and Thoreau, while still making it evident that he is devoted in what he believes in, draws more emotional appeal through being more distressed and concerned than naively hopeful and optimistic. However, similarities remain to be as numerous as differences as both Thoreau and King bring credibility or ethical appeal to their assays essentially with allusions to Christ and the Bible.…

    • 969 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. both shared a similar theme in their writing, which was their passion for equality. These two authors both desperately longed for fairness amongst the people of our nation. Though the stories of Thoreau and King were similar, how they went about it differed.…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Henry David Thoreau was an activist writer. His essays were philosophical and meant to empower people. His idea of protest against the government and slavery was passive and rational. to do nothing. He thought if everyone refused to participate, the government would have to come to their senses and realize they are wrong.…

    • 1150 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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
  • Good Essays

    Henry David Thoreau's Resistance to Civil Government purpose is to disagree that governments can rule an individual and their beliefs. Thoreau said "That government is best which governs least," which translates to say that government should not intrude mens’ lives. Thoreau practiced civil disobedience in his own life. He spent a night in jail for his refusal to pay taxes. Thoreau believes that government was an institution that impedes the accomplishment of its actual purpose.…

    • 140 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I think that Thoreau makes some good points about civil disobedience in his writing. And I think that if more countries would go by these points, then a lot of the world’s most major and disturbing problems would be solved. Here are his main points:…

    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thoreau refused to pay taxes because he did not believe in the government’s involvement in the Mexican war. For this, he was thrown in jail. So instead of paying taxes to what he believed meant he was supporting the war, for something he believed was wrong or unjust, he broke the law by not paying taxes. His refusal to pay a tax that supported the Mexican War was a very individualistic act that, in its non-conformity, brought to light issues that Thoreau felt should not be supported. Thus Thoreau's non-conformity in going to jail to "expresses the very highest respect for the law"--that which follows the constitution--and is an act of individuality brought to light the idea of being chained to institutions is a violation of one's…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In 1968, close to 50 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed by an assassin's bullet. He had given us a decade of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience during the civil rights movement of the 1950’s. While the idea of nonviolent protest was still relatively new, MLK hadn’t invented it; he had been one of a few who pioneered the idea and made it popular. The theory of civil disobedience can be traced back to an essay by Henry David Thoreau by the same name. This theory was adopted and popularized by Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and eventually, Martin Luther King, Jr.. In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau said that if a law “requires you to be the agent of injustice to another,” you should break that law, rather than be unjust to another person.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Civil Disobedience is one of the important aspects of american identity. Harriet Tubman played a great role in performing civil disobedience involving her freeing slaves. Harriet had a huge bounty on her head and still she rebelled against the law, rescuing more slaves. Henry David Thoreau also performed a part in the act of civil disobedience when he refused to pay taxes, because of his opposition to the Mexican-American War. He wrote an essay Resistance to Civil Government stating that citizens have the right to disobey the law if the law was considered unjust. Furthermore, Woman's rights is another example of civil disobedience. Women weren't treated as equal as men and were denied the right to vote. In 1848 the Declaration of Sentiments had 12 resolutions that called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. Overall,…

    • 520 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays