Henry David Thoreau's "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

¶ … Henry David Thoreau's "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience." The writer of this paper discusses what role Thoreau afforded the government as well as what his views on dissent were and why. The writer then argues that the strength and merit of Thoreau's work carry through to current American political traditions.

When Henry Davidson Thoreau penned his "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" he probably had no idea it would become such a political cornerstone for activists hundreds of years later. His work provides a blue print for those who want to challenge the government and allows for the possibility that the common people have the right to stand up and refuse to be ignored.

Thoreau believes that the best government is one that does not govern in any way. He explores the possibility of a government that is not overburdened, slow, and filled with motives not for the people who elected its participants.

The government according to Thoreau is naturally corrupt and he would like to see it become honest and not greedy. According to Thoreau as long as he is as intelligent and well informed as those who are serving public office then he should not have to submit to or obey those in office (Civil Disobedience (http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/civil/).

The authority of government, even such as I am willing to submit to -- for I will cheerfully obey those who know and can do better than I, and in many things even those who neither know nor can do so well -- is still an impure one: to be strictly just, it must have the sanction and consent of the governed. It can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it (Civil Disobedience (http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/civil/)."

He believed that the government should respect and bow to the people that elected its officers. According to Thoreau dissent should take place by way of refusal to pay taxes as the taxes are what line the pockets of those who are elected by the people and then do not obey the wishes of those people.

Thoreau argues that until the government recognizes the power of the individual voter over its massive head, and acts accordingly, with respect, then people should stop paying taxes.

The philosophy of Thoreau in his Civil Disobedience work carries through to current political issues as well. People who are not happy with the elected officials in government believe that those elected officials need to realize that they work for those they are ignoring.