Henry Thoreau Essay

Henry David Thoreau philosophized about living the good life. According to him, the good life is reached through what can be interpreted as an ever-evolving soul. The ever-evolving soul matures and begins to tune in to spiritual instinct. Epistemologically, Thoreau argues that spiritual instincts are sentiments or feelings that act as a life compass and distinguish the metaphysical aspect of higher laws from the world of being. In order to live the best life, according to Thoreau, one must avoid being overwhelmed by material possessions and practice economy. Which leads ethically to a spiritual evolution. In accumulating various material possessions we waste valuable time that could be spent with family and friends, traveling or expanding our personal interests. On July 4, 1845 Thoreau declared his independence from American society and moved into a cabin that he built next to Walden Pond in his home state of Massachusetts. After two years, two days and two months he returned home. By immersing himself in nature, Thoreau hoped to gain a more objective understanding of society through personal introspection. Simple living and self-sufficiency were some of Thoreau 's other philosophical precepts. In April of 1992 a recent graduate of Emory University named Christopher McCandless, set into the Alaskan wilderness, far away from civilization, to practice an extreme example of economy. It can be said that within the fateful story of McCandless and the philosophy of Thoreau certain

Henry David Thoreau, who was originally named David Henry Thoreau, was an American writer, poet, and philosopher.Thoreau was well-known for his book Walden, and his views from Civil Disobedience. He was an articulate and visionary voice for the preservation of wild places as well as an exceptional naturalist. But, he was also known to be self-obsessed, extreme about self-control, and egotistical. He was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. In 1833 he attended Harvard and graduated in the top half of his class. He worked off and on in his family’s pencil factory, after teaching for a few years (Schneider). Mentored by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau was pointed in the direction of writing, and lent pond-side land where he lived for two years and wrote his book, Walden. Emerson also introduced him to Transcendentalism, which is the line of thought that successful living is to disregard material concerns and focus on the spiritual world.

A reader who better understands Henry David Thoreau's life is someone who also knows he was emphasizing the importance of empirical thinking and of spiritual matters over the physical world. Henry David Thoreau is remembered for his philosophical and naturalist writings in which he viewed nature as more important than any materialistic thing.

Henry David Thoreau, was an American author, poet, philosopher, and made many other historic comments with things such as abolition and leading transcendentalist. He lived in the mid-nineteenth century during a rough time in America. Thoreau attracts diverse perspectives because the individual and collective life he lived. Thoreau is best known for his book “Walden”, a reflection upon simple living. As well, “Resistance to Civil Government” or “Civil Disobedience”, which was an argument for disobedience to an unjust state. He has written over 20 full volumes, with his writings about personal life, and many other environmental things. “He was very deeply interested in the idea of survival in the face of hostile elements. (PAL)” Thoreau has

Let's talk about the way Thoreau lived his life. Did he leave behind a family to continue on his beliefs and legacy? Did he contribute to the society

Thoreau was a man that loved nature. Even before he started his "experiment" he was a man of nature and lived his life aware of all his surroundings. He also was very into politics and the economy. Along with being know for his time spent at Walden, he is also know for a night spent in jail during the two years he was in the woods. "In real time, the American philosopher and naturalist spent exactly two years, two months and two days (1845-1847) living in relative solitude at Walden Pond on the outskirts of his native Concord, Massachusetts. In between two of these 794 days, Thoreau spent only one night, albeit a historic one, in jail rather then pay taxes which he said supported slavery and unjust war"(Conrad 137). He was a very intelligent man that had strong beliefs and did the things he did with strong reasoning and thought. You will find that these characteristics will be the ones that separate him greatly from McCandless.

Born July 12th 1817, Thoreau grew up very educated. Education surrounded him everywhere. At home, his sister was his educated tutor. Thoreau loved to read. Thoreau would read and memorize Shakespeare, John Bunyan, and more. Thoreau worked so hard that he was accepted to Harvard. After graduating Harvard in 1833, he returned to his home town. When he got back home, he became a teacher at an elementary school.

Henry David Thoreau is still, to this day, considered one of America’s greatest writers. Thoreau studied under Ralph Waldo Emerson and, one day, he decided to take Emerson’s ideas and see if they could actually work, so he went to live in the woods by himself for two years next to a pond called Walden. Throughout the two years of living alone, he kept a journal and then later published it under the name of Walden. Emerson and Thoreau were the founders of transcendentalism and were, obviously, known as transcendentalists. “Transcendentalism is a very formal word that describes a very simple idea. People, men and women equally, have knowledge about themselves and the world around them that "transcends" or goes beyond what they can see, hear, taste, touch or feel” (Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy). Thoreau was considered the more radical out of the two men and he wanted to act on these transcendental ideas and see if they could actually work in real life. Three concepts of Thoreau’s

Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau grew up in poverty; his dad was unsuccessful and had trouble maintaining a steady job. Thoreau followed in his father’s footsteps, ultimately bouncing from job to job, scorned by society for his unconventional way of living and lack of income (Henry David Thoreau, Discovering Biography). Thoreau began to write with the guidance of Ralph Waldo Emerson who became one of the most important influences in his life. Living with Emerson gave Thoreau insight and inspiration on how to write, and eventually led him to write Walden (Henry David Thoreau, Discovering Biography). Walden was also inspired by Transcendentalism, a literary movement that challenged the use and

Henry David Thoreau was not that popular in his time but over time certain writings helped him become popular. Over time walden and civil disobedience became a hit in america counter. These writings have been referenced in political issues, moral theory, and environmentalism. In this article it states “He achieved

and loved his solitude (Schneider 4). Thoreau says he was truly happiest when he could be

In “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”, Thoreau quotes “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what they had to teach, and not, when I came to die,

One of his most famous poems shows what he thinks and why he thinks that way. Thoreau showed his thoughts and feelings through his poetry, and I think he wrote what other people could agree with. And that is why he is/was so popular. Thoreau inspires me to dream big; nothing is out of your reach if you follow your dreams. He most likely inspired people of his own era for the same things.

The summer of 1845 found Henry David Thoreau living in a rude shack on the banks of Walden Pond. The actual property was owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American philosopher. Emerson had earlier published the treatise entitled "Nature," and the young Thoreau was profoundly affected by its call for individuality and self-reliance. Thoreau planted a small garden, took pen and paper, and began to record the of life at Walden.

Like Emerson, Henry David Thoreau also contributed to the creation of unique America with the belief in anti-consumerist. Thoreau was also the transcendentalist, who was a student and friend of Emerson and he was born on 12th July, 1817. Thoreau’s writing, “Walden” represented a clear identity and it was a challenge to American materialism and ideas of progress. The reformer and writer, Lydia Maria stated that, “The life exhibited in (Thoreau’s books) teaches us that this western activity of which we are so proud, these material improvements, this commercial enterprise, this rapid accumulation of wealth, even our external associated philanthropic action, are very easily