On The Duty Of Civil Disobediance (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
This was an interesting thought experiment, and an artifact of a different time. I can see how it was inspirational for modern incarnations of civil disobedience, but it definitely represents a way that would be unlikely to work the same way if attempted in the modern world. I found it interesting how much this essay focused on withholding tax payments as a way of protesting certain government acts with which one disagreed (in Thoreau's case, with slavery and the Mexican-American war, but he also takes issue with poll taxes, and taxes collected for a church that he does not attend). It was quite a different take on civil disobedience, and was interesting. It was marred by certain artifacts of the past (casual racism, sexism, etc.), which become more noticeable over time, but I don't believe were pushed with any particular malice on Thoreau's part, rather by the general ignorance of the age. It is still something for the reader to get past, however. I read this essay for my composition class, and I'm currently writing a paper in which I have to connect this piece from the 19th century to a contemporary situation.I love this essay. It made me think about my political views as well as the value of the individual in the face of government or otherwise a massive collection of people. I've always valued the literary contributions of the Romantic/Realist/Transcendentalist writers; this is definitely one of my favorites pieces from that era.
What do You think about On The Duty Of Civil Disobediance (2007)?
Disagreed with him periodically throughout, but he did make points and backed up what he stood for.
—Blahtval16
"Quantos homens terão começado uma nova era em sua vida depois da leitura de um livro!"
—Monte
Should be required to have both been read and understood before one can vote.
—DanniTangerine
