Monday, May 18, 2020

Essay on Thoreaus Civil Disobedience and Walden - 1529 Words

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, author, poet, abolitionist, and naturalist. He was famous for his essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, and his book, Walden. He believed in individual conscience and nonviolent acts of political resistance to protest unfair laws. Moreover, he valued the importance of observing nature, being individual, and living in a simple life by his own values. His writings later influenced the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and Walden, he advocated individual nonviolent resistance to the unjust state and reflected his simple living in the nature. In â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† Thoreau stated that government should be expedient and conscientious. He started†¦show more content†¦Thoreau believed that the government should not be ruled by the minority just because â€Å"they are physically the strongest,† instead, we should be ruled by conscience. Furthermore, Thoreau stated that â€Å"†¦a corporation has no conscience,† because the corporation only cared about money, without caring about the multitude. This is still happening even nowadays. For instance, the cigarette companies are still selling cigarettes to the multitude even though they know that there are some carcinogenic materials in cigarettes that smoking cigarettes can cause cancers. They only care about money, without caring about the people who buy their products. As a result, most of the corporations had no conscience. Besides, people should also be conscientious. We should use our brains to think before we act. For example, the sol diers of the army had no conscience because they act like machines without thinking what they were doing. â€Å"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines.† In brief, Thoreau believed that we should be ruled by conscience instead of the inexpedient government which had no conscience. Besides, we should do something to stop the â€Å"machine.† Thoreau believed that we should fight against injustice through non-violence, instead of being neither acquiescent nor using physical violence. â€Å"Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine.† This meant that we should stop the government and corporations that had no conscience. He deemed thatShow MoreRelated Thoreaus Proposed Solution in Walden and Civil Disobedience1839 Words   |  8 PagesThoreaus Proposed Solution in Walden and Civil Disobedience    In Henry David Thoreaus Walden and Civil Disobedience, a problem is presented in the way in which we live our lives. Thoreau sees this problem and goes to Walden Pond to find the solution. Yet his solution is controversial in that it seems to propose actions that go against human nature. Thoreaus prescription for American desperation cannot be accepted by the masses for it is rooted in anti-socialism when humans are essentiallyRead MoreWalden and Transcendentalism Essay1545 Words   |  7 PagesWALDEN AND TRANSCENDENTALISM Henry Thoreau’s masterpiece, Walden or a Life in the Woods, shows the impact transcendentalism had on Thoreau’s worldview. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual over the material. Transcendentalism puts the emphasis on spiritual growth and understanding as opposed to worldly pleasures. Thoreau’s idea of transcendentalism stressed the importance of nature and being close to nature. He believed that nature was a metaphorRead MoreHenry David Thoreaus Sociological Experimentation in Isolation655 Words   |  3 PagesIn Henry David Thoreau’s writings, he explores a different, more thoughtful way of life. Thoreau was a student of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson gave Thoreau the property on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts; where Thoreau spent about two years living away from the society. Thoreau’s social experimentation required him to separate himself from the society, to be an individual, and to learn from his experiences. Henry David Thoreau was given a piece of property on Walden Pond by Emerson. EvenRead MoreThe Effect Of Transcendentalism : Henry David Thoreau1654 Words   |  7 Pagesaffected by the literary works like Henry David Thoreau’s through his legacy he leaves behind, lifestyle constantly on exhibition throughout his writings, opinionated views in his manuscripts, and evidence of his values in modern today’s societies. Other venerable pioneers of this movement include: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Frederick Henry Hedge, and Amos Bronson Alcott. The legacy that Thoreau left behind also defines the societies of today. Thoreau’s compassion for his beliefs in TranscendentalismRead More Henry Thoreau’s Influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesHenry Thoreau’s Influence on Martin Luther King Jr. Henry David Thoreau was a great American writer, philosopher, and naturalist of the 1800’s who’s writings have influenced many famous leaders in the 20th century, as well as in his own lifetime. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1817, where he was later educated at Harvard University. Thoreau was a transcendentalist writer, which means that he believed that intuition and the individual conscience â€Å"transcend† experienceRead MoreComparisons On The Advocacies Of Henry Thoreau vs Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.941 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a higher law than civil law- the law of conscience- and that when these laws are in conflict, it is a citizens duty to obey the voice of God within rather than that of the civil authority without, (Harding 207). As Harding described in his brief explanation of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience, there are some instances in which it is necessary to disobey a social law. Martin Luther King, Jr., in addition to Thoreau, reasoned that should a civil law be judged unjust, one had a moralRead MoreEssay on The Political Principles of Thoreau807 Words   |  4 Pagessocial philosopher and writer was not fully recognized until the twentieth century. Ironically, Civil Disobedience, the anti-war, anti-slavery essay for which he is probably best known, has become a manual for social protest by giving support to the passive resistance of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other conscientious objectors (Paul 233). Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience was mainly a protest against slavery: I cannot for an instant recognize the political organizationRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Gandhi1437 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most inspirational books written that influenced people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi is Civil Disobedience. Written by Henry D. Thoreau and based on his live relieving experience at Walden s Pond provides us with a new way to look at our lives. Civil Disobedience is a book that provides a new life changing experience. Thoreau’s time at Walden Pond is described as an experiment in living deliberately which he furthers to describe as living with a purpose, making choices, andRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and the Counterculture1357 Words   |  6 Pagestranscendentalist. He compiled a novel titled Walden, a non-fiction depicting his stay at Walden Pond where he truly explored nature and his transcendental quality. Similar to Thoreau, the Counter culture was a non-conformist group, during the 1960’s and 1970’s who went against societys norms and became their own sub-culture. They too were highly considered transcendental. The counterculture of the 1960’s and 1970’s was heavily coerced by Henry David Thoreau’s ideas and shared comparable facets of exhibitingRead MoreThe Legacy Of Henry David Thoreau1991 Words   |  8 Pagesmuscle and weapons. Yet, the enduring leadership and legacy of Henry David Thoreau, an early American author and abolitionist, has shaped the development and evolution of non-violent protest movements worldwide. This is the story of how the power of Thoreau’s words have shaped the arc of history for nearly 200 years: his pen was indeed mightier than the sword. Personal Background: Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts. He was also raised there for most of his childhood

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.