It is clear, after reading Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, that Thoreau feels that the government should have as little power as possible. That is not to say that Thoreau is an anarchist; the necessity of some form of government is made evident throughout the work. He does, however, stress the idea that people should be willing and able to govern themselves without the need of an established political entity to dictate their lives. The main focus of this work is that the American government, while necessary and somewhat democratic, is inadequate. These inadequacies are sufficient, Thoreau feels, to warrant a full rebellion with the intention of replacing the current governmental system with one that is more effective and more democratic. This essay will determine the author’s intent, the effectiveness of the document to facilitate the author’s intent, and the instrumental value that the document Civil Disobedience has provided for political theorists and concerned citizens.
It seems as though this essay was written with pre-Civil War issue of slavery and question of state’s rights in mind. These issues and others are mentioned throughout the essay but, probably the greatest motivator was his disapproval of the Mexican War (Woodlief). Thoreau considered the death of his brother to be due to the war effort and blamed the government for the traumatizing event in his life. Thoreau thought him-self to be a “victim” of the system and recognized the victimization of others. Under the assumption that the U.S. Constitution and all state constitutions were, in fact, social contracts between the government and the governed, Thoreau believed that it was within his rights to not pay state taxes if he felt that the government was not meeting his expectations and providing proper representation of his wishes as outlined in said contract. If the government could declare war and carry it out without his approval, then he could refuse to pay for that war, by way of taxes, without the government’s approval. In one paragraph he espouses, “I simply wish to refuse allegiance to the State, to withdraw and stand aloof from it effectually” (Thoreau). Thoreau feels that this statement dissolves him from the contract, enabling for him the right to refuse to pay taxes. The end goal of Civil Disobedience was not to make it okay for Thoreau to not pay taxes, but to prove that the relationship between state and citizen is – or should be – reciprocal; when one supports the other, all is in harmony, but when one does not support the other, the whole thing falls apart. The beauty of this philosophy is that it makes things very black and white and decisions are simply determined. The greatest flaw is that it does not allow for grey areas or exceptions to the rule. A person living in America may refuse the rights of safety and protection, but a fire truck will still be sent to their home if it is on fire; as long as this citizen is gaining lawful wages, they will still be taxed for this service whether they request it or not.
When Thoreau first published this essay, it was titled Resistance to Civil Government. The intention, as previously stated, was to openly oppose the Mexican War. While Thoreau may not have played a vital role in ending this war (President Polk would accomplish exactly what he had set out to do anyway), the document’s failure to end the war does not outweigh the incredible controversy and intellectual stimulation that was generated over its publication. Thoreau points out many injustices that are inflicted upon Americans by their government and calls for a correction of these violations. This work was especially influential as he was among the very few white Americans if the time that argued for the rights and freedom of African-Americans. Many Americans were inspired by this document and would become more politically aware, but governmental institutions and practices remained unchanged in the wake of Civil Disobedience.
The value of Civil Disobedience is unquestionable. The writing style is eloquent and convincing, and the subject matter is incredibly relevant regardless of when or under what government it is considered. Thoreau made sure to establish a solid philosophy that would apply to any situation in which a society is governed by any entity. Thoreau relies heavily upon the fundamental ideas expressed by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. These philosophers claimed that the only power a government possesses is granted and awarded by the people ruled by it; at any time the people feel that the government has abused this power, the people have a right, and a responsibility, to overthrow that government and establish a new one. Thoreau’s writings would inspire some of the greatest humanitarians of all time; both Gandhi and M. L. King Jr. gave inspirational credit to Thoreau (Scholastic).
Thoreau’s works are considered to be American classics as they depicted the cultural and social structures present in America during his life. His political and philosophical views tend to go against the grain and he really did seem to march to the beat of his own drum; he was not content to let his moral beliefs be compromised by the majority. Though the intention of Civil Disobedience was to directly oppose the Mexican War and was ineffective in doing so, the thoughts and words contained therein have proven to be moving and inspirational; the value of this document is not intrinsic, but is determined by the reader and will continue to inspire political theorists and concerned citizens.
Works Cited
“The Life and Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Scholastic. 1999. Web. 19 February 2011.
Woodlief, Ann. “Henry David Thoreau.” American Transcendentalism Web. Virginia
Commonwealth University. Web. 19 February 2011.
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