The Pros And Cons Of Resistance Without Violence

All through history governments and empires have been overthrown or defeated primarily by the violence of those who oppose them. This violence was usually successful however, there have been several situations, when violence failed, that protesters have had to turn to other methods. Non-violent protesting never seemed to be the right course of action until the ideology of Mohandas Gandhi spread and influenced successful protests across the world. Non-violent methods were successfully used, most notably, by Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

Thoreau, Milgram and King all consider the difficulties of resisting majority rule, standing up to authority, and protesting against the established rules and laws. Henry Thoreau wrote “Civil Disobedience” to focus on the relationship of individuals to the state that focused on why people obey the laws of the government even if they

     Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau both believed that one should stand up for what he believes in, as wells as accepting the consequences for his actions. Even though they also had different views about what makes law just or unjust. First of all, Martin Luther King believed that a law that is just should be square with the moral law or the law of God. This basically means a law should pertain to the Ten Commandments according to the bible. He also thought an unjust law was one that was inflicted on to a minority who did not even have the right to vote for this law in the first place.

While both Martin Luther King Jr. and David Thoreau recognized that society needed modification, they acquired contrasting perspectives about the dilemma. King writes out of concern for the African-American race and believes that even though law states, something is wrong, it could be right. Thoreau believes writes out of frustration and that "Government is best which governs not at all." (Thoreau 407). King and Thoreau agree that everyone has the ability to take charge, on the other hand, their actions are distinct in many ways.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Believed in achieving equality through peaceful demonstrations: “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” (King, pg.3 ¶.1). He felt that equality had to be gained through honorable, civil ways otherwise those fighting for equality were no better than the slave owners. We can see this best when he says, “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence” (King, pg.3 ¶.2). MLK felt that it was in the best interests of all parties for black to integrate into society. A couple of his quotes that show this best are, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood” (King, pg.4 ¶.6). and “I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King, pg.5 ¶.2).

Even though Thoreau and King remained peaceful throughout their protests, their words and actions categorized them as extremists. They embraced that title and even used it to their advantages, speaking and demonstrating their beliefs in the hunt for government reform. Thoreau was aware that a case as major as civil rights would take drastic measures in order to see a change in the ways of government so he could not sit idly by and wait for it to happen on its own. Yet when he spoke his opinions, many classified him as somewhat of a radical. He questions this by asking “why does [the government] always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?” (para 16, 946). King also makes a very similar statement, but with more religious examples like Paul, Amos, and Martin Luther because of his primary audience of clergymen and his own religious background. In addition, King states that “perhaps the South, the nation, and the world are in dire need of creative extremists” (para 31, 270). King realized that in times of desperate need, “creative extremists” are necessary to enact just and rightful change, as it will not occur on its

One of the most evident differences between the two papers is the way they are written. Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is undoubtedly much easier to follow and understand compared to Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience.” King’s tone is very calm and respectful, which is expected as he is a minister and advocate, compared to Thoreau, who sounds disgusted, judgmental, and angry at the government; this is important because if King’s tone was more like Thoreau’s he may have been unable to explain the importance of civil disobedience to his audience. In addition, King alludes to the bible and history and provides examples of events that have occurred in order to get his point across whereas Thoreau only uses his personal experience and forces his ideas on his audience. One such example is when King is explaining the difference between just and unjust laws as he writes, “An unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because it did not have the unhampered right to vote. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up the segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout the state of Alabama all types of conniving methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties without a single Negro registered to vote, despite the fact

Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817, a time where slavery was legal. In 1849 Thoreau published an essay “Civil Disobedience” which explains his idea that the government is much more harmful than helpful and that man has the right to disobey the government when he feels it is being unjust, in his case it was slavery, American Imperialism, and the Mexican-American War. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929, 64 years after slavery was abolished, but America was still a racist country. A country made up of segregation of blacks from whites. In 1963 King wrote a letter while incarcerated defending his fellow African-American brethren for the strategy of nonviolent

“... But if it is of such nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say break the law.” This philosophy, practiced by very few men, was the foundation of Henry David Thoreau’s and Martin Luther King’s morals and beliefs. Thoreau was an American transcendentalist in the 1800’s who had very strong views about the United States government at the time. He was against slavery and the Mexican-American War so he refused to not his poll taxes, which consequently landed him in jail for a night. Soon later, he wrote an essay, called “Civil Disobedience,” in which he spoke out on his feeling about government. King was an African American and was one of the most important leaders, not if the most important leader, of the Civil Rights Movement. King was also imprisoned but for nonviolently protesting against segregation. He later wrote “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Both works, even though written around 100 years apart, have a few similarities. One is they agreed there was a necessity to reform government, specifically majority rule. However, they have differences such as writing styles and the two essays had two different topics and audiences.

Henry Thoreau’s essay influenced MLK immensely. Before Kings untimely death, said, “Fascinated by the idea of refusing to cooperate with an evil system, I was so deeply moved that I reread the work [Civil Disobedience] several times.” This essay really changed his life and paved that way to change led by MLK. “If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it

During the era of the civil disobedience, individuals took stand and fight for their rights. the government took actions that violated the rights of others or took restrictions that angered residence. Resistance to civil government by Henry David Thoreau is an essay written about his opinion on opposing the government that was taking control of people’s rights, motivating his disagreement of slavery and the Mexican-American war. Mahatma Gandhi, a leader who fought for the Indians independent movement against British. Lastly but not least, Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement. Within the tree leaders, Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. their connections were all together based on

Peaceful resistance is a major part of American history, from the American Revolution to the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement to the Travel Ban protests of today. These instances of peaceful resistance shape American society for the better, as the voices of minorities are heard and unjust laws are ended. Peaceful resistance does positively impact a free society, as supported by Henry Thoreau, demonstrated by the 1960 Civil Rights Movement, and anticipated by protests of today.

The use of peaceful resistance has been a part of society for many years. The time for peaceful resistance dates back to Henry David Thoreau; the use has been widely ranged from racial discrimination to the government abusing their power. Based on those who have used peaceful protesting, it has had a positive impact on free society. Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and even some now in society have reflected that peaceful resistance has a positive impact on free society. In his writing, Henry David Thoreau demonstrated the positive factors of civil disobedience.

Thoreau, Gandhi and Mandela each have their own beliefs on how the individual can affect change in the world through protest. However, despite their differences the philosophies of these revolutionary men were all also very similar because they came from different places and times, but were trying to do what roughly approximates to the same things. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau states that government is important in order to preserve the freedom of individuals. Nonetheless, he believes that it is the duty of the individual to disobey the government when the government implements unjust laws.

The political concepts of justice and how a society should be governed have dominated literature through out human history. The concept of peacefully resisting laws set by a governing force can be first be depicted in the world of the Ancient Greeks in the works of Sophocles and actions of Socrates. This popular idea has developed over the centuries and is commonly known today as civil disobedience. Due to the works of Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. civil disobedience is a well-known political action to Americans; first in the application against slavery and second in the application against segregation. Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience” and King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are the leading arguments in defining