Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and...

Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. Any one can say that a law is unfair and unjust. However, who is really willing to accept the consequences for going against an unjust law? Is breaking this law really worth the punishment? The government is the one to decide whether a law is reasonable, but what if a member of the public believes that a law is not? Should he rebel against this law? Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. answered yes to this question and believed that one should speak out against an injustice. They both believed that government had many flaws. Even though they shared many beliefs in many of the same subjects concerning Civil Disobedience, they had many different†¦show more content†¦Thoreau was arrested for not paying a tax, a tax that put a fee on voting. Thoreau also peacefully served his time. Both men knew the consequences for their actions, yet went along and committed the crime. Their crimes were not vengeful or harmful against a living soul. However, their crimes were sta tements stating that the government cannot make anyone goes against his or her beliefs. Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau both believed that one should stand up for what he believes in, as wells as accepting the consequences for his actions. Even though they also had different views about what makes law just or unjust. First of all, Martin Luther King believed that a law that is just should be square with the moral law or the law of God. This basically means a law should pertain to the Ten Commandments according to the bible. He also thought an unjust law was one that was inflicted on to a minority who did not even have the right to vote for this law in the first place. Thoreau is basically rallying for the absence of government in the lives of the citizens. He believed that everyone should govern himself. He also believed that no one should have to ride on the shoulders of the government, but instead rely on himself. He thought people should treat other people the way they wanted to be treated, and follow the natural laws of society. Martin Luther King Jr. believed there should be laws or it would be total anarchy. Thoreau believed that without theShow MoreRelatedCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreaus Letter From A Birmingham Jail1605 Words   |  7 PagesToday I will be comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and The Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and taking a closer look at their rhetorical devices and strategy’s. In Civil disobedience by Henry David Thoreau shows us the need to prioritize some one’s wellbeing over what the law says. American laws are criticized mostly over slavery and th e Mexican-American war. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† was written in response to a letterRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 Pageseverything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. Their goal was to fight for a better just system of law and restore faith in humanity. Despite their differentRead MoreThoreaus Theory Of Civil Disobedience882 Words   |  4 PagesHenry David Thoreau made a practice of conscientiously and willfully disobeying laws that he believed to be unjust. He was arrested and put in jail for doing so on numerous oc casions. Thoreau described this as passive resistance, or nonviolent opposition to authority, especially in cases with refusal to cooperate legally. Passive resistance, also known as civil disobedience, influenced people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and even John F. Kennedy. Civil Disobedience in the sameRead More Comparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail1043 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail The two essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., effectively illustrate the authors opinions of justice. Each author has his main point; Thoreau, in dealing with justice as it relates to government, asks for not at once no government, but at once a better government. 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In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, andRead MoreThoreau And King s Ideas On Civil Disobedience1267 Words   |  6 PagesComparing and Contrasting: Thoreau and King’s Ideas on Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817, a time where slavery was legal. In 1849 Thoreau published an essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† which explains his idea that the government is much more harmful than helpful and that man has the right to disobey the government when he feels it is being unjust, in his case it was slavery, American Imperialism, and the Mexican-American War. 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Recently we have witnessed an increased frequency of civil disobedience, and it is crucial that citizens understand what it entails and how they can use it responsibly. When is civil disobedience the right course to follow in order to change laws? Bree Newsome’s act of civil disobedience flawlessly demonstrates the correct etiquette and action of civil disobedience. IfRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s Civil Disobedience And Ralph Waldo Emerson s Self Reliance2846 Words   |  12 Pagestranscendentalist movement is still alive in the modern day: as seen in our societies focus on individualism, nature and sensibility. This paper will discuss the ideas of transcendentalism through the work of Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance by comparing both works finding similarities and differences between them. To truly understand the most important members of the transcendentalist movement, it is first important to understand the basic foundations Comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and... quot;...A little rebellion now and then is a good thing...It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.quot; Thomas JeffersonThoreau, a transcendentalist from the mid 19th century and Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights movement leader of a century later both believed the necessity of medicine for government. Although they showed disagreement of opinion on issues regarding voting, both writers agreed on the necessity to reform the government and the means of accomplishing it. In Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail and Thoreaus Civil Disobedience, both agreed on injustice of majority to rule over minority, both resisted the government passively, and both wanted a better government immediately.The majority is not†¦show more content†¦Once a law is broken, the person must be willing to accept the consequences, which may be the penalty of imprisonment.Although laws may be unjust, but it must be respected regardless. King fears that anarchy will result if laws are not respected; Thoreau describes that rebellion will be the consequence if laws are not given respect. Consequently, both chooses to passively resist the laws they believed that are against their morals, and are prepared to accept imprisonment . The exercise of passive resistance is the basis of the title of Thoreaus work, and King presents several examples of quot;civil disobediencequot; in his letter, including the Boston Tea Party. King not only exercises passive resistance, he also provides the procedure to be followed for any nonviolent campaign. They are: collection of the facts to determine whether injustice exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action (2:471). He points out that he has gone through all the steps, and direct action is what brought him to the Birmingham Jail.Recognition of injustice and passive resistance described by both authors is to point out the need of government reformation. Thoreau calls for a better government, immediately, and points out that the fastest way to improve government is to quot;let every man make know what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtainingShow MoreRelated Comparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail1043 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail The two essays, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, and Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King, Jr., effectively illustrate the authors opinions of justice. Each author has his main point; Thoreau, in dealing with justice as it relates to government, asks for not at once no government, but at once a better government. King contends that injustice anywhere is a threatRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau1311 Words   |  6 Pageseverything the general will†, however, it was not always the case, according to influential American authors and civil rights activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Although both of their works were written over a century apart, one cannot deny the fact that both of them successfully and nonviolently converted their ideology into action using different methods of civil disobedience. Their goal was to fight for a better just system of law and restore faith in humanity. Despite their different Read MoreCivil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreaus Letter From A Birmingham Jail1605 Words   |  7 Pageswill be comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and The Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and taking a closer look at their rhetorical devices and strategy’s. In Civil disobedience by Henry David Thoreau shows us the need to prioritize some one’s wellbeing over what the law says. American laws are criticized mostly over slavery and the Mexican-American war. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† was written in response to a letter writtenRead MoreHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws1820 Words   |  8 PagesHenry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr.s Justification of Defying Unjust Laws In his famous essay, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, and