Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience
Civil Disobedience
The laws and regulations that have been set on our country are primarily what the government see as appealing to the American public. Much like in the Mexican American War which Thoreau referes to show that the majority is capable of taking over authority. In the essay he also referes to slavery to prove the same point. In Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau's argument that the American people should question the government and it's authority is logical because it shows that the public has more of a say and that the actions of the men fighting show more American customs than the actual government.
The people involved in the struggle are one of the three types that Thoreau describes. The first serve the state with their bodies, which means that they are seen as less by the government but in reality they are the ones responsible for change. They exercise no judgement and allow …show more content…
"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs" (Thoreau). The fact that they risk their own lives for justice is enough said within of itself. However the government sees the self worth of the men that fight for theire rights are only worth about as much as animals and lumps of dirt. Thus, showing that with or without support of the government many things can be done and acheived for the people's beliefs as long as they do not give into the perspective of those who doubt them and their self
The laws and regulations that have been set on our country are primarily what the government see as appealing to the American public. Much like in the Mexican American War which Thoreau referes to show that the majority is capable of taking over authority. In the essay he also referes to slavery to prove the same point. In Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau's argument that the American people should question the government and it's authority is logical because it shows that the public has more of a say and that the actions of the men fighting show more American customs than the actual government.
The people involved in the struggle are one of the three types that Thoreau describes. The first serve the state with their bodies, which means that they are seen as less by the government but in reality they are the ones responsible for change. They exercise no judgement and allow …show more content…
"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs" (Thoreau). The fact that they risk their own lives for justice is enough said within of itself. However the government sees the self worth of the men that fight for theire rights are only worth about as much as animals and lumps of dirt. Thus, showing that with or without support of the government many things can be done and acheived for the people's beliefs as long as they do not give into the perspective of those who doubt them and their self