Promoting the Use of Civil Disobedience Essays

The American duty requires to use voices, symbols, strength, and intelligence to unite and prosper against an unjust authority. Recently, different organizations continue to express their wants and changes to the government through peaceful protests. Civil disobedience strives to develop in America, however improvement continues to happen. The advantageous duty conveys civil disobedience. With Henry David Thoreau’s pivoting piece about individualism and protesting, Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter towards equal rights and rebellion, the developing civil disobedience continues to fulfill the American society.

Henry David Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience, which is about him trying to persuade citizens that their obligation is to contravene and correct the unfair laws of the government. Thoreau begins Civil Disobedience with the view point “That government is best which governs least”

Civil Disobedience makes governments more accountable for their actions and has been an important catalyst for overcoming unpopular government policies. To voice his disgust with slavery, in 1849 Henry David Thoreau published his essay, Civil Disobedience, arguing that citizens must not allow their government to override their principles and have a civic duty to prevent their government from using unjust means to ends. The basis for Thoreau’s monumental essay was his refusal to pay a poll tax, which subsequently landed him a night in county jail. In his passage: “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go; perchance it will wear smooth—certainly the machine will wear

Both, Thoreau and King, in their works “Civil Disobedience” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” successfully and effectively delineates arguments for the importance and necessity of civil disobedience. Although both essays present very similar ideas, it is important to note the similarities and differences which are evident through the use of language and the presentation of the arguments and ideas because if it were not for the proper use of language, tone, and presentation of the idea of civil disobedience in Dr. King’s letter, he might not have been successful in his campaign; Thoreau initially presented the idea of civil disobedience in 1848, but his contemporaries dismissed his political essays.

Have you ever felt a rule you had to follow was unjust? Have you ever felt your moral instinct tell you not to follow it? Prominent figures in American history, Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau, felt this way and decided to not follow the rules imposed on them by indulging in “civil disobedience”. Civil disobedience is the act of peacefully disobeying laws or customs with the purpose of combating moral injustice. This form of protest has proven to be quite effective in making change in history. In “Civil Disobedience” and the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, both Thoreau and King Jr. write their justification for their actions as well as their feelings regarding the particular disputed

Once again in Civil Disobedience, Thoreau discusses how there are corrupted laws and asks if “we [shall] be content to obey them[,] or shall we endeavor to amend them and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” (Thoreau 7). Without a doubt, the first option is what most Americans choose, as they stand by and continue to elect corrupt officials. The next two options that Thoreau proposes each exhibits a demand to amend the laws of inequity, with the last option being the most progressive. Thoreau was one of the few of his beliefs that actually acted upon what they believed.

Over the course of history, there has been numerous cases where people have carried out non-violent methods such as protests and direct action to fight for their rights, seeking for people of authority to take action upon their wish to make alterations. In many instances, this act of civil disobedience has been efficacious. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he addressed his view on civil disobedience and stated “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Because many leaders and average people in history have successfully used King’s belief to

Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau’s influential paper, Civil Disobedience, represents the idea of the right to not follow an unjust law, as shown by the hundred years of American protest in response to these laws. When Thoreau penned the document, it was a tumultuous time in both his life and America’s. At this time, the United States was at war with Mexico, the aptly named Mexican-American war. The conflict was mainly about land, primarily california, which was President James K. Polk wanted to add to the union. However, the war was also about slavery.

“We should be men first, and subjects afterward.” – (Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience). In Thoreau’s essay, Civil Disobedience, he is making an argument for why people should fight against unjust laws. More specifically, laws that individuals feel are unjust against their own morals and independence. Thoreau also alludes to the idea that if a person does not think for themselves, then they should just allow the government to take over completely. I believe that Thoreau presents an effective argument for civil disobedience through his words of the government, the American people, and his own experiences.

Henry David Thoreau was an American writer best known for his book “Walden”, this book was a representation of how simple living exists in natural settings and his essay “Civil Disobedience” in which he argued against an unjust state. These writings on the environment and philosophy were only a small contribution to his lasting legacy, his literary flair including much more of nature observations and philosophical severity. While reading more and deeper analyzing Civil Disobedience I couldn’t help but notice the similarities in the essay to what we are facing with today’s government.

At an early age, most children are taught to obey the law. However, many children are also told to follow their conscience. Certain incidents can cause these views to conflict. According to figures like Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela, breaking the law is justified when one’s conscience dictates him or her to do so if it is for justice, freedom, and it is non-violent.

Henry David Thoreau was an American writer and protester, who wrote the influential essay “Civil Disobedience”. In his essay, he advocates for citizens to protest against government actions that they deem unjust and to stand up for one’s rights, putting morals before law,

“That government is best which governs least” is the first sentence of Thoreau’s essay. A common topic throughout the entire essay stems from the distrust of government and a indignation that both government and the people governing will turn corrupt. One of the key reasons to which government does in fact become corrupt is due to the tendency of a few leaders imposing their will on majority. The only way in which the majority could disobey is to simply stop being taxes. By doing so, you form a resistance of the highest form. Not one which is based on anarchy, but one based on a hard reform in order to improve the government. Thoreau makes a key point in which conformity is the biggest obstacle to those who

The world is full of people who put their self-interests first, making the world evil and unjust. Henry David Thoreau made a speech in 1848 about the government, its injustices, and Theroux response to each. This speech and latter essay would commonly be known as civil disobedience. Here, we find everybody living and making rules for their own interest, participating in many evil activities, and encouraging the rule of injustice. However, we can also find some a few people, like Thoreau, trying to resist this race in order to stop evil practices and rules. In the essay “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau tries to make people, citizens, aware by drawing attention towards the injustices of American government. He divides the essay into three parts;

There typically exists a universal agreement that the government in some way has certain responsibilities to its people. These often include aspects of protection and regulation of the economy. Consequently, the people have a duty to their government. Henry David Thoreau explains these corresponding obligations in his essay “Civil Disobedience”. The idea is presented that the citizens have the ability to make changes. They are able to alert the government to its mistakes through action.