Posted for Amber Molder (H3) [images not preserved]
Henry David Thoreau: Civil Disobedience
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15LwbUQTCtBT85JbGbNMR-aunCf1yfVloNbgJXT7HTzg/edit?usp=sharing
Civil Disobedience is an essay that was written by Henry David Thoreau in 1846. It
speaks out against the injustices of the government, and how citizens should respond to them. To
give some insight on what prompted Thoreau to write the essay, you must know the background.
In 1846 the United States declared war on Mexico. Thoreau viewed it as the South's
attempt to expand slavery. The U.S. national law during that time stated that slaves attempting to
escape slavery must be returned to their owner, even if found in free states. Thoreau opposed
slavery, and as an act of protest he refused to pay his taxes. He was arrested in July 1846 for tax
delinquency and had to spend a night in jail (it was supposed to be more than one night, but
historians believe it was a relative that bailed him out). Thoreau being put in jail prompted him to
write the essay “Civil Disobedience”.
● The essay was originally published as
“Resistance to Civil Government” in
1849.
● Also referred to as “On the Duty of
Civil Disobedience” in early 1900’s.
● The school of Life has a great video
that highlights the main cause of and
points in the essay. Here’s a link!
https://youtu.be/gugnXTN6-D4 .
Thoreau begins the essay by stating “That government is best which governs least”. He
urges people to not follow the majority, if their conscience tells them it is wrong. Thoreau
declares that a man of conscience must act against injustices from the government. Thoreau
states the petitioning and voting for reform within institutions like the government would make
little change. Instead, he suggests disassociating from them.
● “A person is not obligated to devote
his life to eliminating evils from the
world, but he is obligated not to
participate in such evils.”
● Thoreau states that people should
“break the law” if the government
required people to obey “unjust
laws”.
He argued that the government must earn the right to collect taxes from its citizens.
While the government commits unjust actions, conscientious individuals must choose or refuse
to pay their taxes. Thoreau (as I mentioned earlier), refused to pay his taxes because he knew the
money would be funding the war and slavery and he wanted no part of it.
He entered Concord, Massachusetts one morning to get his shoes repaired, when he was
arrested for tax delinquency. Thoreau was not afraid of spending some time behind bars.
“Under a government
which imprisons any
unjustly,” he states, “the
true place for a just man is
also a prison.”
Symbolically the essay suggests to follow your inner morale and conscience, before
following a government. If the Government is doing unjust things, we must speak out and act out
against it. We must not be bystanders and allow immoral laws to stand.
Sources:
https://youtu.be/gugnXTN6-D4
http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/civildisobedience/summary/
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/civil-disobedience/
http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/civildisobedience/context/
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Here is a link to my Midterm Blogpost : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XPohPyc
JI86kU3-v0OW5V7hrVL2-G37UTcEvInLv4C8/edit?usp=sharing .
I tried to commented on Cami Farr and Camden Welch’s final blogs. The website wouldn’t let
me publish my comments (https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=320843e8fa&attid=0.
1&permmsgid=msg-a:s:-679056341990839995&th=16784a46ab7913f4&view=att&disp=safe&r
ealattid=c35de853db126586_0.1). Copying below what I intended on posting.
1. Cami’s Blog (Link: https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/12/short-sweet-and-to-
point-truth-to.html) Amber Molder H-03// I find my outlook on life somewhere right
between Cottingham and Arieff. I know that life is not a set number of days, any one in
particular could be the last. I agree with Cottingham on trying to make it count, by getting
out there, conquering the day, and having fun. We are always so busy (especially as
college students) but we shouldn't give up opportunities to do new things, even the things
that may scare us. Better to try things and be spontaneous then live with "what ifs".
2. Camden’s Blog (Link: https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-truman-show-is-
real-better.html) Amber Molder H-03// I think we are all guilty of living in filtered lives
from time to time. We get wrapped up in our personal problems, stresses, goals, work,
etc. I think as long as you can take a step back and realize these issues are temporary and
only present if we allow ourselves to be bothered by them then we are still living in true
reality. Work, school, stress hobbies, they are all self imposed. If an individual is not
happy with how their life is going then they have the right and the power to change it.
Don’t live life unhappy by doing things you are “suppose to be doing”.
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“A person is not obligated to devote his life to eliminating evils from the world, but he is obligated not to participate in such evils.” At least we're not obligated to participate voluntarily and silently. We can call out injustice, usually, without going to jail. But there comes a time when the best people do need to ask themselves, as Henry supposedly asked Emerson, what they're doing "out there" (on the other side of the bars).
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