Henry David Thoreau: The Irresponsibility Of The Government

Henry David Thoreau argues that the corruptibility of the government hinders society in order to convince American citizens in the mid-nineteenth century that people should follow personal morals rather than the will of the government. Thoreau sends a valid message given the context of his argument. During the mid-nineteenth century, slavery remained ubiquitous in the United States because the government authorized the legal usage of slaves. Although the law permits slavery, morality forbids slavery. Slavery goes against the basic rights of a human and therefore the people fought against the government to ban it. Simply put, the government does not dictate what is right or wrong. The government merely establishes the laws of human society.