Civil Disobedience Essay Example
Civil Disobedience Essay Example

Civil Disobedience Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (1050 words)
  • Published: January 12, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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Some of the key points that Henry David Thoreau states In On the Duty of Cell Disobedience are applicable to modern-day societies that people have the right to resist, should and just practice Integrity, and attempt to attain a Just, limited government. Thoreau affirms throughout the pamphlet that the absolute right of individuals to withdraw their support from a government whose policies are immoral or unjust.

He takes Issue with the brand of moral philosophy that weighs the possible consequences of civil disobedience against the seriousness of Injustice.

The ultimate goal of civil disobedience is not to undermine democracy, but to reinforce the fundamental values of liberty and respect for the individual. So many leaders in the last few generations from Gandhi to Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela

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have lied on Thoreau thoughts on the idea that sometimes breaking an unjust law may be the only way to highlight injustice. Some people In government follow Thoreau legacy on politics. Even though some may not agree, this is exactly the path Edward Snowmen and Bradley Manning were following In the disruption they caused.

Although it is not stated that many parts of the world are molded by these ideas of civil disobedience, it is in fact a large part of modern-day political make-up.

Thoreau understood that civil disobedience was a Journey to give power back to the individual ND that the small acts of a few people can actually move things forward, even in the face of large powers and forces we seem to not control. Today many men and women feel lost, desperate, and In dire need off new kind of politics and living, which

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Is the reason people have an urge to resist and continue to fight for what they believe In.

The only way for people to have the power to truly change the world is by civil disobedience against authorities. According to Thoreau, people should be lead by their conscience, not by what the law or authorities in government say. By definition, both the State and corporations re Impersonal, amoral entitles that are nonetheless composed of Individuals. "It has been truly said, that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience" (Thoreau 3).

Although the government altogether does not have a good conscience to follow and obey, each individual does.

A person has a right and an obligation to "do at any time" what he or she deems right, to exercise his or her own conscience by refusing involvement or complicity In a government that enforces unjust policies. Civil disobedience is a reconfigure the relationship between the individual and the State by making the tater more equitable and less burdensome in its treatment of the former. Integrity and honesty are some of the underlying aspects that Thoreau encourages people to follow.

Recently, in Colorado, the state government legalized marijuana and Justifies it as the "right choice. This not only unjustifiable, but it brings to light that this cannot continue due to the conscience that calls to obey and do what is right. According to the Huffing Post, "Pot shop owners in Colorado claim they made over $1 million in sales statewide on the first day of legalized recreational marijuana sales alone, according to Denier's news" (Real 1). As an individual

with a strong conscience, it is wrong to pass such a law that legalizes a drug that will cause the people to crumble into entropy. Marijuana is a medical resource, but in reality, it does more harm to those who are addicted or will be addicted.

If the government allows marijuana to become more accessible to the common man and woman, it will do more damage than good. This is the right thing to do: this law should be revoked or put more restrictions in order to prevent the abuse of drugs. Before this happens, it is the duty s a citizen to act upon the conscience as Thoreau has told us to do that in order to create better society. The path that is needed to take in order to achieve this goal is that the people must follow his or her own inner self.

The most ideal form of government is one which exercises the least power and control over its citizens. Thoreau believes that government is an inherently intrusive force that stifles the creative enterprise of the people.

His avowed faith in ordinary citizens stands in contrast to the entrenchment of an elite political class that Thoreau perceives as incompetent and ineffectual. His libertarian and transcendentalist leanings are, however, tempered with limited support for some government initiatives.

Democracy is not the last stage in the evolution of the State, as there is still greater room to recognize the freedom and rights of the individual. The Congressmen of United States government are there to listen to the citizens' voices and try to carry them out in the best of their abilities. This is because

the government is the citizens and they run the country.

The votes, the petitions, the resistances are all profound methods of convincing the government high officials to pass laws that elf the people ultimately.

In the past six months the 13th Congress has formed, a specific law was passed to help those who experienced flight delays, which was conveniently named, Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013. Since Congressmen does want the citizen's vote, they try to comply most of the time. The people are able to exercise these rights and this liberty to somehow get help from the government legislature. Although Congress has not addressed other important issues, it actually, as Thoreau had envisioned, helped develop a country of more freedom and liberty for the individual in America.

It has been brought to light that Thoreau philosophy of politics continues on even today.

Resistance, integrity, and a Just, limited government are many aspects Thoreau passionately states throughout his pamphlet, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. In most modern-day society, people have more freedom and are open to be civil disobedient towards the government in order to voice the issues that remained unresolved. People are not necessarily obligated to follow the law, but Thoreau transcendentalist legacy continues on in the people and the everyday life we have today is shifted because of his beliefs.

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