Civil Disobedience By Thoreau

Philosophers, historians, designers, and politicians have spent centuries pondering the birth between citizens and their government. It is a question that has as existencey considerations as in that respect atomic number 18 forms of government and it is rarely answered satisfactorily. A relatively modern theorist, author Henry Thoreau, introduced an idea of hu opus beings as an individual, rather than a subject, by thoroughly describing the way a citizen should live human racey of his works. He indirectly supplements the arguments he presents in his essay Civil Disobedience through a comprehensive selection of adages found in his other works.In articular, the phrases A simple and independent mind does not toil at the dictation of any prince and To be on the lookout is to be alive. I have never met a man who is quite awake support many of the arguments in Civil Disobedience because they help to explicate the complex ideas Thoreau presents. The phrase A simple and independent mind does not toil at the bid of any prince regards the responsibilities of a man to his take in consciousnessit is a barter that nates not be revoked by any form of tyrant.Rather than hinting at a type of anarchy, this statement merely describes each mans duty to playing justice in all his actions. This does not bear upon to any mans duty to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong he may still properly have other concerns to engage him just now 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 (681). The term simple does not refer to an underdeveloped sense of moralisticity it describes a state of mind in which the concept of justice is so defined that contradictions cannot exist.To toil, as it is presented in this quotation, meat to sacrifice ideals for the sake of conformity or law. The alone real spring the State holds over any individual is the promise of br ute index it never intentionally confronts a mans sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses (687). Therefore, many acts the State requires will be unjustthey can and will run a man to slave for the sake of an ordeal he does not believe in. As Thoreau notes in Civil Disobedience, a wise man will only be useful as a man (678).In essence, Thoreau believes that a man who toils at any ruling institutions dictation simply because it bid him to do so sacrifices his own facilities as a human being. He then becomes nothing more than a man put on a level with wood and earth and stones Commanding no more respect than men of straw, or a lump of grunge (678). Another quotation that helps to explicate Thoreaus Civil Disobedience is To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake.In this phrase, Thoreau uses the term awake as an euphemism for being to the full aware of ones concept of right and fully in control of ones moral and physical existence. Understandably, people who are consistently awake, in this sense of the word, are hard to find There are ine hundred and ninety-nine patrons of moral excellence to one virtuous man (680). Also, the fact that Thoreau has never met a man who was quite awake implies that fully conscious individuals have difficulty animate in modern society.In fact, Thoreau believes that no man with a record for legislation has appeared in America. They are rare in the history of the founding (692). Perhaps, by the word awake, and its equation with alive, Thoreau is also referring to the ability to fulfill his own mission I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a rock-steady place to live in, but to live in it, be it neat or bad (683). Although this concept is not a particularly uncomparable one, it is nearly impossible to fulfill completelybut to fulfill it partially is useless.As a living being, one must cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence (684) . To truly be alive, one must be consciously satisfied with every passing moment. Through his conscientious support of every facet of his philosophy, Thoreau effectively proves his statements regarding citizenship and government. He remains consistent to nearly every idea he presents and so surrounds them with a seriousness that cannot be ignored.