Reflection: Civil Disobedience

After reading Henry David Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience," I thought about breaking rules more in depth. I expected to strongly dislike reading this, but I actually quite enjoy his take on government. In section one, Thoreau wrote about the phrase " "That government is best which governs least" and what it means to him. Thoreau wrote about how this statement needs to be "acted up to be more rapidly and systematically" (Thoreau). He was basically saying that one day we could possibly have no need for a government and everyone would get by just fine. Following this statement, Thoreau wrote about how the American government is only a tradition loosing integrity. He compares the government to a wooden gun that people point at themselves (Thoreau). I found this comparison very interestingly put. He then writes, " 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 on, 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" (Thoreau). In this passage, he is basically saying that people make the government up to be this huge, great thing, when really it is just pushing us toward what we want in life. The government tells you what to do and it tells you how to act, but it is you who actually does those things. I found this to be a very interesting spin.

This essay definitely belongs in the Romanticism and the Transcendentalism time period. Transcendentalism was a time of individual intuition as a means to understand reality (Quinn). God was still around, but he was found in nature. An individual's soul mirrors the world's soul and we can connect through nature (Quinn).

Thoreau, writing about his own view on the government, definitely went outside the box from the past time period. He jumped right into transcendentalism with his individuality.

Even though it sounds as if Thoreau does not want a government, he takes a turn and says he just wants a better government. Discussing a few problems that he has found, such as restrictions on trade, he proves himself to be a credible source. He also discusses the problem with laws. Making you think with points like "The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right. It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience. Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice" (Thoreau) he makes you think about the difference between being morally right and being right based on the law. He gets you thinking about the question: Should you be right based on morals, or should you stand by the law?

Thoreau then gets into how to act towards the American government. He suggests avoiding association all together. I personally think that this is not the best possible thing. If you want government to change you can just not sit around and wait for someone else to change it. You have to do things like vote or protest. Reading further, I realize that Thoreau does encourage the act of rebellion. He says that is is not only a right, but it is also a duty (Thoreau).

Quinn, Edward. "Transcendentalism." A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Thoreau, Henry David. "Thoreau's Civil Disobedience - 1." The Thoreau Reader. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.