Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau - 969 Words

Transcendentalism is an idea that expresses the individuality of a person and his differing beliefs from the current societal opinions. This idea had a few articles written about it such as â€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau which in summary states that if you don’t agree with the society’s opinion, you should form your own and fight for it. Another writing about it is â€Å"Self Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson which also basically states that you should follow your heart and not conform to society’s opinions. Both of these writings are ideas that comply with the beliefs of Transcendentalists. Transcendentalists would really think highly of Joe Clark because of his nonconformist beliefs, his value of others, and because of his†¦show more content†¦In response, Joe Clark chains off every entrance in the school. This act is seen as criminal with whiplash by the community as it is viewed as a potential threat to the studentsâ⠂¬â„¢ safety in an emergency situation, yet Clark does not alter his decision. This reveals Joe Clark’s strong beliefs in civil disobedience, as proven by the example by Henry David Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience†: â€Å"The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right†(372). Generally, Transcendentalists would view the actions taken by Joe Clark as very respectable and resonanting to their main beliefs. This notion is further enforced in â€Å"Self-Reliance† by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Expressing the importance of independence from popular influence, Emerson writes: â€Å"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think†(365). In summary, this strengthens the claim that Clark’s use of civil disobedience would be supported by the values of Individualism, and his actions would subsequently be seen as complying with the Transcendentalist ideology. Joe Clark used harsh and unconventional methods when dealing with problems associated within the school. Joe Clark does not listen to what others have to say and follows his own heart. Some might say that Joe Clark’s ways were harsh by stating that he firedShow MoreRelatedCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau975 Words   |  4 Pages Henry David Thoreau was a very influential writer in the 1800s and still is today. Thoreau was one of America’s â€Å"greats† when it came to early American literature. Henry David Thoreau wrote one of the most influential essays entitled Civil Disobedience. This essay was Thoreau’s political statement, it outlined his views on non violent resistance. Civil Disobedience was written during the Mexican War. The Mexican War was a conflict between Mexico and America that was caused by a dispute over theRead MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau888 Words   |  4 Pageswhether or not Civil Disobedience is an appropria te weapon in a democracy, one must understand what Civil Disobedience is and how it was developed. The definition of civil disobedience is simple: the refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something. The man who developed the undertones of Civil Disobedience was Henry David Thoreau. Several key figures looked to his famous paper, The Duty of Civil Disobedience, for inspiration. In a Democracy, Civil Disobedience is not anRead MoreHenry David Thoreau And Civil Disobedience1455 Words   |  6 PagesHenry David Thoreau was an American philosopher known for his interest in politics; specifically raising awareness about the injustice committed by the American government. He’s the author of prominent works like Civil Disobedience and Slavery in Massachusetts, which set the setting for the United States at the time. Both of these works follow a common theme of perseverance through difficult times and the role of the self when choosing right from wrong. Thus, he was deeply engaged in the idea ofRead MoreHenry David Thoreau : Civil Disobedience933 Words   |  4 Pagesa quote from Henry David Thoreau from his well-known book called Civil Disobedience (Baym, Levine ,2012). His famous book was written after he was jailed for a night for refusing to pay a tax. However, the following day his relatives paid the tax without his knowledge and this inspired his book Civil Disobedience. Though Henry David Thoreau is also known for being a poet, practical philosopher and his two-year project at Walden pond near Concord, Massachusetts (â€Å"Henry David Thoreau,† 2014). His projectRead MoreCivil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau1260 Words   |  6 PagesCivil Disobedience was written by Henry David Thoreau. The Letter From A Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King Jr. They both had similarities and differences. There were injustices that were done wrong to each of them by others in the society in which they both lived. The injustices and civil disobedience they incurred should never happen to anyone. Henry David Thoreau spoke in an emotional tone in his essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† The emotional part of his essay of Civil DisobedienceRead MoreCivil Disobedience, By Henry David Thoreau1650 Words   |  7 Pagesweakness? In his 1849 essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† American writer Henry David Thoreau explained he had refused to pay his poll tax to the U.S. government for six years because he opposed the U.S. engaged in war with Mexico. This kind of â€Å"civil disobedience,† Thoreau (1849) said, is crucial because â€Å"a minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then†. In fact, he said, â€Å"It costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the State than it wouldRead MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau1384 Words   |  6 Pagesis also known as civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is the most efficient form of protest in a society. In all societies both modern day and past, there has been some sort of government. In history many of these governments have abused their power and have become too powerful. In these cases it was the right of the people to protest. All past societies have agreed the less power a government has the better. In an essay Civil Disobedience, written by Henry David Thoreau the text states â€Å"ThatRead MoreCivil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau771 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a philosopher and writer who is well known for his criticism of the American government during the time. During Thoreau’s life, there were two major issues being debated in the United States: slavery and the Mexican-American War. Both issues greatly influenced his essay, as he actually practiced civil disobedience in his own life by refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. He states that the government should be based on conscience and that citizensRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s Civil Disobedience933 Words   |  4 PagesIn Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, he is writing to the American people. He is trying to spark a desire for change, for people to oppose their government without actions. He uses this work to criticize the American institution of slavery as well as the Mexican-American War. Thoreau is attempting to convey the importance of listening to one’s conscience over the laws, believing that it is more important to do what they feel is right rather than listen to the laws given by the majority. ThoreauRead MoreCivil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau Essay1178 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Civil Disobedience† by Henry David Thoreau was a means of educating people on why they should not settle for a less than perfect government. Thoreau’s work is a reminder that it is our duty to throw off an unsatisfactory government, as stated by Thomas Jefferson in the â€Å"Declaration of Independence.† Civil Disobedience touches on the subject of why people choose to do nothing about a government they are unhappy with. People fear the consequences they might suffer if they do interfere with the