Analysis Of Henry David Thoreaus Civil Disobedience By...

According to Mark Twain, if an individual finds himself conforming to the ideas of the majority, then he should reflect on his actions. The individual should realize that he is part of a group that deprives him from acting according to his intuition. This idea is supported by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance because Emerson praises the independent nature of the individual and urges the individual to break away from away from the conformist society. In his essay Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau encourages the individual to challenge the authority of the government by breaking the laws that only reflect the will of the majority. It is important to â€Å"pause and reflect† because not conforming to the ideas of the majority can†¦show more content†¦The actions or judgements of an individual can be great but may not be accepted by the society that favors â€Å"foolish consistency†. He encourages individuals no to worry contradicting their pre vious ideas because consistency keeps the /individual from being himself. In addition, Emerson gives examples of reformers and philosophers like Luther, Jesus and Copernicus to show that â€Å"to be great is to be misunderstood† (22). These great individuals challenged the traditions that existed in their time and were disliked and punished by the society and the government for their expressing their ideas that greatly affected humanity. Thus, the individual should trust himself and find his own voice because â€Å"Conformity makes [him] not false in a few particular.....but false in all particulars† (21). Emerson’s call for self-trust and nonconformity supports Mark Twain’s idea of separating from the majority because the individual can use his own judgements to make decisions when he does not live up the expectations of the majority. Henry David Thoreau, in his essay Civil Disobedience, criticizes the inexpedient government and urges the individual to b reak unjust laws. He argues that the government is not always useful because it derives its power from the majority. The majority has the most influence in the government because they are the strongest in a society not because they have the most legitimate viewpoints. Thoreau suggests that when the government deprives individuals fromShow MoreRelatedHenry David Thoreau1930 Words   |  8 PagesBiographical Summary Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, and was the son of John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). Growing up in a â€Å"modest New England family,† Thoreau was one of four children and was accustomed to living practically (McElroy). As his family was â€Å"permanently poor,† he came to accept a moderate lifestyle, which may have later influenced his thoughts on the necessities of life (â€Å"Henry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ency. of World). As aRead MoreYour Freedom Is Not Free Essay1645 Words   |  7 Pageswhatever shackles limited them from reaching their potentials, both literally and figuratively. Henry David Thoreau, Fredrick Douglass, and Ralph Waldo Emerson are exemplary writers of the nineteenth century who strove to articulate not only the ideas of freedom and justice, but also the means by which these ideals, which they themselves acted upon, might be realized. Thoreaus Walden and Resistance to Civil Government, Douglasss Narrative, and Emersons The American Scholar are reflectiveRead MoreThe Great Traversers By Ralph Waldo Emerson2868 Words   |  12 Pagesthree transcendental ideas, as presented by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau) In this spirit I have just discovered Emerson. For forty years I have known something about him, of course—that he was a mystical philosopher; the apostle of transcendentalism in America†¦.† (Abbot, lines 9-10). From within the text of the author of this quote, it can be seen the shear praise and gratitude held for a man by the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson as mentioned in the quote, is considered toRead MoreHenry David Thoreau: The Grat Transcendentalist Essay1932 Words   |  8 PagesHenry David Thoreau along with a select group of people propelled the short movement of transcendentalism during the 1830s to the 1850s and was later brought up during the Vietnam War. Many of the transcendentalist ideas came from student who attended Harvard University during this time period. Henry David Thoreau’s individualistic anarchist views on society were developed throughout his early life and later refined in his years of solitude; these views on society an d government are directly expressedRead MoreTranscendentalism in Civil Disobedience3710 Words   |  15 PagesM.A. Re(dis)covering America: Emerson, Thoreau, and American Democracy 10 April 2012 Transcendentalism in Civil Disobedience Thoreaus Politics of Individuality and Nature Dannheisig 2 Contents Introduction 1. Transcendentalism a. Nature b. Introspective Conscience and Politics 2. Political Individualism a. Ethical and Political (In)justice b. Critique of Democracy Conclusion Bibliography 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dannheisig 3 Introduction Henry David Thoreau was part of a movementRead MoreThe Effect Of Transcendentalism : Henry David Thoreau1654 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effect of Transcendentalism: Henry David Thoreau Transcendentalism is the American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century that was rooted in the pure Romanticism of the English and the German (Goodman). Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the father of Transcendentalism because his literature is the first to praise the notable spirituality of nature. The basic belief of the movement is to live authentically; being true to oneself (Day). The movement itselfRead MoreHenry David Thoreau4404 Words   |  18 PagesHenry David Thoreau INTRODUCTION Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian , philosopher andtranscendentalist. Henry David Thoreau was a complex man of many talents who worked hard to shape his craft and his life. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moralRead MoreThe Film Eight Men Out By John Sayles1163 Words   |  5 Pagesfamous baseball scandal of 1919. But what is even more intriguing than the scandal itself is the way each player handles the proposal which was presented to them. Their actions each embody the concepts brought out by the eminent philosophers, Plato, Emerson, and Thoreau. They were presented with an offer that was extremely hard to deny. They were already being underpaid, and their ‘raise’ for winning a game was a single bottle of flat-champagne. They were even deprived of the bubbles that once filled