A summary and analysis of henry david thoreaus civil. Henry david thoreau and the nature of civil disobedience oupblog. He is best known for walden, an account of a simpler. In civil disobedience he defines a man as someone with a strong moral character and a clear sense of self. On the duty of civil disobedience project gutenberg. He worked a short while as a schoolmaster, but then began writing poetry. Civil disobedience back next thoreau had some serious problems with the way the united states was run. Deliberate and public refusal to obey laws that violate ones personal principles. Gandhi adopted the term civil disobedience to describe his strategy of nonviolently refusing to cooperate with injustice, but he preferred the sanskrit word satyagraha devotion to truth. The term civil disobedience was coined by henry david thoreau in his 1848 essay to describe his refusal to pay the state poll tax implemented. Civil disobedience by henry david thoreau 888 words 4 pages. Less remembered, however, is that while living at walden pond, he gave an 1848 lecture on resistance to civil government since published as civil disobedience which had much farther reaching effects.
The leader of the movement was ralph waldo emerson, a writer and lecturer. Henry david thoreau, the son of a concord pencilmaker, graduated from harvard in 1837. He began writing nature poetry in the 1840s, with poet ralph waldo emerson as a mentor and friend. Mohandas gandhi loved henry david thoreaus civil disobedience so much he built a nonviolent philosophy refuting british injustice around it, but this remarkable essay advances more. Civil disobedience, free pdf, ebook, epub global grey. The protesters on the street arent just taking up space, they carry on a well thought out tradition. Henrys essay on civil disobedience was established in 1849 as a form of resistance to poor governance. Early life and education he was born david henry thoreau in concord, massachusetts, into the modest. Martin luther king and gandhi werent the only ones. What kind of government does thoreau describe in civil disobedience. Those who practice civil disobedience are strong, patient and determined menwomen who believe in justice. Actor david strathairn performs an excerpt from henry david thoreaus civil disobedience. Global grey free pdf, epub, kindle ebook pages pdf. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also i believethat.
Analysis and summary of civil disobedience by henry. Readers outside the united states should check their own countries laws to. This penlighten post briefs you on the civil disobedience summary for you in an effort to explain thoreaus ideas better. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of civil disobedience. Thoreau begins his essay by arguing that government rarely proves itself useful and. Henry david thoreau, born july 12, 1817, concord, massachusetts, u. Here the author argues that a citizen must always uphold conscience over what is. Resistance to civil government, called civil disobedience for short, is an essay by american transcendentalist henry david thoreau that was first published in 1849.
Henry david thoreau was born in 1817 in concord, massachusetts. The project gutenberg ebook of on the duty of civil disobedience, by henry david thoreau this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds best literature guides. David henry thoreaus essay civil disobedience argues that if a government is being unfair, it is an individuals duty to stand up against it. Thoreaus essay civil disobedience or resistance to civil government, published in 1849, is a call to arms similar to the stances that people like parks and. A suggested list of literary criticism on henry david thoreaus civil disobedience.
Thoreau uses the word subject to imply subjugation or obedience for example, a person who is the subject of a ruling king. Thoreau begins his essay by arguing that government rarely proves itself useful and that it derives its power. Civil disobedience, by henry david thoreau 731 words cram. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on henry david thoreaus civil disobedience. The transcendentalists, especially henry david thoreau did not like the idea of fitting in. Sparked by thoreau s outrage at american slavery and the americanmexican war, civil disobedience is a call for every citizen to value his conscience above his government. Watch henry david thoreaus civil disobedience clip history. It is one of the most important works in american history as it deals with the rights as well as the responsibilities of citizens in view of the government. He spent time as a school teacher after attending harvard college but was dismissed for his refusal to administer corporal punishment. Henry david thoreau, in civil disobedience, carefully leads us to his main premise. His essay has influenced many prominent civil rights activists, including dr. One of thoreaus most influential writings, it has been published separately many times walter hardings the variorum civil disobedience, for example, appeared in 1967, included in volumes of selections from thoreau among them the 1937 modern library edition of walden and other writings of henry david thoreau, edited by brooks atkinson, and.
Thoreaus civil disobedience major themes cliffsnotes. Start studying henry david thoreau civil disobedience. Civil disobedience by henry david thoreau goodreads. Civil disobedience audiobook by henry david thoreau youtube. A summary and analysis of henry david thoreaus civil disobedience david henry thoreaus essay civil disobedience argues that if a government is being unfair, it is an individuals duty to stand up against it. Thoreaus civil disobedience espouses the need to prioritize ones conscience over the dictates of laws. I heartily accept the motto, that government is best which governs least. He soon joined a religious, philosophical, and literary movement called transcendentalism. On the duty of civil disobedience by henry david thoreau. Civil disobedience study guide contains a biography of henry david thoreau, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Henry david thoreau reflects on life, politics, and society in these two inspiring masterworks. Resistance to civil government civil disobedience is an. In 1849, henry david thoreau established the idea of civil disobedience. The listed critical essays and books will be invaluable for writing essays and papers on civil disobedience.
In 1845, wanting to write his first book, he moved to walden pond and built his cabin on land owned by ralph waldo emerson. In much of his work henry david thoreau considers the question of how a person can live an authentic, honest life. Today, july 12, marks the 200 th anniversary of the birth of henry david thoreau, known best for chronicling his experiment in simple and selfsufficient living in walden. Henry david thoreau was an american philosopher, environmentalist, poet, and essayist. Henry david thoreau explains why we should never be content with unjust laws and why civil. Martin luther king and gandhi werent the only ones inspired by thoreaus civil disobedience thoreaus essay became a cornerstone of 20thcentury protest. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Civil disobedience by henry david thoreau essay example. Civil disobedience stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Remembering henry david thoreau and civil disobedience. Thoreau had some serious problems with the way the united states was run.
Civil disobedience by henry david thoreau free essay. In 1845, thoreau moved to a cabin that he built with his own hands along the shores of walden pond in massachusetts. Thoreau s minor act of defiance caused him to conclude that it was not enough to be simply against slavery and the war. Henry david thoreau was born on july 12, 1817 in concord massachusetts, to john thoreau, a pencil maker, and cynthia. Henry david thoreau quotes about civil disobedience az. Henry david thoreau, on the duty of civil disobedience all voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions. July 12, 1817 may 6, 1862 was an american essayist, poet, and philosopher. In it, thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Civil desobedience henry david thoreau wrote the essay civil disobedience to show his opposition to slavery and american imperialism. Resistance to civil government, called civil disobedience for short, is an essay by american transcendentalist henry david thoreau that was first published in. Civil disobedience, henry david thoreau essay 1160 words. Civil disobedience section ii summary and analysis. While in jail, gandhi read the essay civil disobedience by henry david thoreau, a 19thcentury american writer. In cases where the two are at odds with one another, the individual must follow his conscience and, if necessary, disregard human law.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach. It criticizes american social institutions and policies, most prominently slavery and the mexicanamerican war. Henry david thoreau is credited with establishing a form of protest known as civil disobedience, which inspired leaders for generations. In his paper civil disobedience, thoreau encourages the reader to recognize when the government is doing something unjust and wrongful to the people. Henry david thoreau was born on july 12, 1817, in concord, massachusetts. What does thoreau say the best government will not do in civil disobedience.
Civil disobedience is thoreaus primary essay on how to interact with government. Presentation mode open print download current view. Henry david thoreau 11 government which makes the war. The definition of civil disobedience by henry david thoreau. On the duty of civil disobedience by henry david thoreau free. In civil disobedience, thoreaus basic premise is that a higher law than civil law demands the obedience of the individual. Within this 19th century essay, thoreau explains government of any sort including democracy does not possess more wisdom or justice than its individual citizens, and that it is every citizens responsibility to avoid acquiescence. Civil disobedience is not a form of passive protest. Last week, around 30,000 people downloaded books from my site 8 people gave donations. Civil disobedience is the strategy for articulating ones beliefs.
He was an outspoken opponent of slavery and bitterly opposed the mexicanamerican war, which he viewed as an act of american aggression. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the mexicanamerican war. As this thesis statement for civil disobedience by henry david thoreau suggests, the author defines the act of civil disobedience by. Thoreaus classic essay popularly known as civil disobedience was first published as resistance to civil government in aesthetic papers 1849. This incident prompted thoreau to write his famous essay, civil disobedience originally published in 1849 as resistance to civil government.
But government, he charges, is too often based on expediency, which can permit. They believed that by remaining outside of society s influences a person could transcend the evils that tempted them within and find true peace. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay civil disobedience originally published as resistance to civil government, an argument for disobedience to an unjust state. Thoreau has no objection to government taxes for highways and schools, which make good neighbors.