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    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
    Ebook41 pages56 minutes

    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

    By Henry David Thoreau

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    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience (1849) is an essay by the American transcendentalist writer and poet Henry David Thoreau in which he insists that rebelling against a government is a duty whenever such a government starts taking decisions against the will of the people. Thoreau justifies his radical stance by the fact that elected governments are not always legitimate or fair decision-makers. For him, this is mainly exemplified in the way his contemporary government of the United States, being elected and legitimate, legalizes and encourages slave-trade and levies taxes to finance the illegitimate war with Mexico. If democracy means the rule of the majority, the latter is not necessarily always right or wiser than the minority. A government, for Thoreau, is corrupt by nature and must be revolted against as soon as signs of this corruption become visible. Besides, the essay does not just put the blame only on the government and its supporters, but more importantly on those who are convinced of its corruption and remain aloof. The people, according to Thoreau, should not just remain passive waiting for the next elections because to hope for justice and real reformation through voting is completely ineffective. Justice must be imposed and not just voted for. If people live under an obviously unjust law, they must fight to change it and not simply wait for election to do so.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherA Word To The Wise
    Release dateAug 20, 2013
    ISBN9781780007182
    Author

    Henry David Thoreau

    Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American writer, thinker, naturalist, and leading transcendental philosopher. Graduating from Harvard, Thoreau’s academic fortitude inspired much of his political thought and lead to him being an early and unequivocal adopter of the abolition movement. This ideology inspired his writing of Civil Disobedience and countless other works that contributed to his influence on society. Inspired by the principals of transcendental philosophy and desiring to experience spiritual awakening and enlightenment through nature, Thoreau worked hard at reforming his previous self into a man of immeasurable self-sufficiency and contentment. It was through Thoreau’s dedicated pursuit of knowledge that some of the most iconic works on transcendentalism were created.

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    Reviews for On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

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    • 3/5
      Honest not as good as I was hoping. They claim he was an anarchist, clearly that meant something different in his day than in ours.
    • 3/5
      Interesting to read about Thoreau's very brief time in prison and the effect it had on him.
    • 4/5
      "There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly."So concluded Henry David Thoreau in his seminal essay, "Civil Disobedience". Originally titled "Resistance to Civil Government", it was later published as "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" because it was written in part as an answer to William Paley's "Of the Duty of Civil Obedience". This is somewhat confusing, however, since Thoreau makes it quite clear that he does NOT believe civil disobedience to be a duty, but rather thought it proper for people to be primarily concerned with the business of living: "I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a good place to live in, but to live in it, be it good or bad." He said only that one should resist when failure to do so brings harm to others: "It is not a man's duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong; he may still properly have other concerns to engage him; but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support. If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another man's shoulders. I must get off him first, that he may pursue his contemplations too." (And even then he refrained from judging those who failed to resist out of, for example, fear of the consequences to their families.) (See Wendy McElroy's essay on "Civil Disobedience", particularly the penultimate section, "A duty to resist?").Really, the best way to review "Civil Disobedience" is to let Thoreau speak for himself. A few more key passages, starting with this early one expressing a clearly true, but rarely practiced, idea: "I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.""The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies.... In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense.... Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens.... A very few, as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men, serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they are commonly treated as enemies by it.""All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable. But almost all say that such is not the case now. But such was the case, they think, in the Revolution of '75. If one were to tell me that this was a bad government because it taxed certain foreign commodities brought to its ports, it is most probable that I should not make an ado about it, for I can do without them. All machines have their friction; and possibly this does enough good to counterbalance the evil. At any rate, it is a great evil to make a stir about it. But when the friction comes to have its machine, and oppression and robbery are organized, I say, let us not have such a machine any longer."Unfortunately, Thoreau is not always entirely consistent. He opens with the motto, "'That government is best which governs least'", and continues, "Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, -- 'That government is best which governs not at all'; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have." The second proposition, however, does *not* necessarily follow from the first (depending on how one interprets it). And when Thoreau goes on to differentiate himself from the "no-government men" of his day, it becomes hard to tell what exactly he is advocating. Is he an anarchist, or not? A sort of gradualist anarchist, or what? (And indeed, scholars have debated precisely this point for many decades.) Thoreau basically tells us what he is against, but he is much more vague about what he is *for*. He asserts that "Government is at best but an expedient," but never gives any argument for or content to this claim. This does not seem to be consistent with his conclusion with which I opened this review, and leaves us with little guidance as to what might be the *proper* functions of government, if any. So on the whole, "Civil Disobedience" is a very good essay, one might well say a *great* essay, but in some respects somewhat lacking or inconsistent.Also included in this collection are "Life Without Principle", "Slavery in Massachusetts", "A Plea for Captain John Brown", and "Walking". These essays are generally even more philosophically mixed than "Civil Disobedience" (in that he makes some poor arguments for unsound conclusions), but there is a lot of good material in them as well."Life Without Principle" is perhaps the most interesting of these, though ultimately a bit disappointing. It sounds like a piece on what might be called "practical philosophy", like he will explain the importance of principles AS SUCH in daily living; instead, it's more on the "practical" side than the "philosophical" side, as he just offers a number of principles by way of advice on how to live well. It is by and large good advice, though he clearly has little or no understanding of economics, which leads him into one or two blunders. He really doesn't have that much to say about the subject of the title that is deeply insightful."Slavery in Massachusetts" and "A Plea for Captain John Brown" are both passionate denunciations of slavery, and I certainly sympathize with Thoreau's sympathy for Brown, but there is more moral fervor here than practical solutions."Walking" is about a certain way of life that includes an appreciation for nature, very reminiscent of parts of Walden. Thematically, it doesn't have much to do with "Civil Disobedience", but if you liked Walden, you'll probably enjoy this.On the whole, these essays aren't perfect, but we can learn much of value from them...recommended reading.
    • 3/5
      some quotes i liked:"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 out. if the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consider whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil; but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, i say, break the law. let you life be a counter friction to stop the machine. what i have to do is to see, at any rate, that i do not lend myself to the wrong which i condemn." (page 8)"a government that pretends to be christian and crucifies a million christs every day!" (page 43)
    • 2/5
      I couldn't finish Walden and I couldn't finish all of these essays either. It's probably just me. I cannot get a grip on Thoreau's style or his politics and philosophy.
    • 4/5
      He has some wonderful essays, although it must be remembered that he had few personal responsibilities & no family to support. He was too self-centered for a wife & children. I believe he is sincere, if impractical. I think he draws the lines rather tight for the real world some times, but maybe it is that attitude that allowed things to go so wrong since his day...I've seen him labeled an Anarchist, but I believe he was a Libertarian. He wanted a better government that needed to govern less.
    • 4/5
      re-read after many years, still as insightful and inspiring as ever
    • 4/5
      This is more or less the core of libertarianism. A true classic.

    Book preview

    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience - Henry David Thoreau

    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

    Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12th, 1817 on Virginia Road in Concord, Massachusetts. 

    Thoreau studied at Harvard between 1833 and 1837 taking classes in rhetoric, classics, philosophy, mathematics, and science. On graduating the normal professions left him unmoved and, after a period teaching at his own school, a growing friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson moved his career onto that of writer and observer of nature.

    Thoreau was a philosopher of nature and how it affected the human condition. He was deeply influenced by Nature and especially the Walden woods. Eventually his published writings were to celebrate this area and his own philosophies.

    A noted Abolitionist Thoreau was a man to stand by his principles regardless of the minority view he might be holding.

    Tragically his life and career were short.  In 1859, following a late-night excursion to count the rings of tree stumps during a rain storm, he fell ill with bronchitis. His health now fell into an irreversible decline with only short periods of remission.

    Thoreau spent his last years revising and editing his unpublished works. In the decades that followed he would be regarded as one of America’s greatest writers.

    Henry David Thoreau died on May 6th, 1862 at the tragically early age of just 44.

    Index of Contents

    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

    Henry David Thoreau – A Short Biography

    Henry David Thoreau – A Concise Bibliography

    On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

    I heartily accept the motto, That government is best which governs least; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically.  Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which the will have.  Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.  The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government.  The standing army is only an arm of the standing government.  The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it.  Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure.

    This American government what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity?  It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his will.  It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves.  But it is not the less necessary for this; for the people must have some complicated machinery or other, and hear its din, to satisfy that idea of government which they have.  Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed upon, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage.  It is excellent, we must all allow.  Yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way.  It does not keep the country free.  It does not settle the West.  It does not educate.  The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its

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