Thoreau Philosophy
Applications of Thoreau's Philosophy Against the Rule of Law
Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient." This philosophy may seem strange to current ears and eyes, given the current media stress upon American patriotism and loyalty. However, Thoreau believed that even the laws of a free society and government such as the United State's should not be reified to such an extent that they were obeyed unquestioningly, subverting the very reasons that those laws were put into place.
Decisions and actions, in contrast, should be more defined by the internal moral compass of the individual, rather than upon the letter. In case this seems to radical a prescription for a society to follow, it is sobering to reflect upon our own nation's legal and political, as well as social history, in light of the legacy of slavery that Thoreau protested. Pro-slavery legislation was defined by the law, as well as by the American human heart. Although the law through civil rights legislation has since served to circumvent some of racism's excesses, it is important to remember that...
American Studies Civil Disobedience in American Historical Life and Literature There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love," writes Martin Luther King Junior in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail" from his civil rights era protest text, Why We Can't Wait, originally published in 1963 after the successful Birmingham bus boycott. King wrote his letter to his fellow Christian ministers in the spirit and words of a man deeply
Were such changes necessary? According to what Oelshlaeger explains in his book, it appears that much of these changes are interconnected. With agriculture "naturally" come other transitions in the society. In fact, "neo" or "new" implies the many changes that occurred 10,000 years ago with the advent of growing crops. The beginnings of this huge change can be traced to the food-producing cultures evolving on the eastern shores of
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