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On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure.
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Jgotham
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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SleepyDragon
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Pickpick

This is one of those essays that a person should first read at age 18, and then reread periodically at different stages of their lives.
#RtC - Reread along with my friend's book club.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Pickpick

My last one for 2018, and the last one I needed for my #MountTBR, but I did it, and I‘m not sure in this year of protests and fights about where our tax dollars go, that I could have ended up with a more fitting read for my last of this crazy year.

Come on 2019!🎉
Be a good one 🤞

Redwritinghood Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎆🎆 6y
TiredLibrarian This is a good read, and all too relevant right now 😕 6y
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MrBook
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Henry David Thoreau's grave!!! This is just absolutely amazing for me. I nearly cried after leaving the cemetery, so much reverence for these literary heroes!

#NewEngland

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kaysworld1
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Got this great card today from @TrishB thank you #JBUK 💝

TrishB Glad it arrived 👍🏻 6y
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elizabethlk
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Mehso-so

Thoreau makes good points, especially anti-war and anti-slavery points, but mostly spends a long time talking about not paying taxes. I can see how it would have been influential, but also how it would have been inaccessible. Bit of a mixed bag. Mostly interesting from an historical point of view.

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Libby1
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Mehso-so

I admire the conviction of the author and willingness to take a stand. This essay IS personally challenging, and those who take it seriously may feel necessarily uncomfortable as they grapple with their own response to the injustices of the State.

However, while correctly citing the injustices of slavery and war, I found Thoreau‘s response to be detached and lacking in creativity and heart.

For me, this is an important but not helpful work.

Libby1 Sorry, @Karen2.0 . I know HDT is your literary boyfriend. 💕. I have only read this work and haven‘t yet read Walden. Maybe that will be more my style? What do you think? ⭐️ 7y
Libby1 Oops! I forgot to thank you, @SerialReader ! 7y
Gezemice I had a similar reaction. I found him detached and his response of withdrawal from politics the wrong way of going about it. Later Ghandi turned this into nonviolent resistance which has been much more influential and useful. 7y
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Libby1 @Gezemice - I agree. I read a bit, too, about how Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., found inspiration or ideas from this. Maybe because I read a lot of King at university I felt that Thoreau‘s piece was disengaged? Less forceful (in a peaceful way 😊)? 7y
Gezemice @Libby1 I did not read much King although I have read about his ideas in other works. He is just detached. But the idea is that your duty is to disobey when the law is unjust, was a powerful one. His solution was not. 7y
KarenJMcLean @Libby1 — When you read Walden, bear in mind that the first section — Economy — is a hard slog. It gets better after that. 😉 7y
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Libby1
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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“There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war [Mexican American War], who in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing...”

Yes, but show us what TO do.

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Sarah83
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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loveridge
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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steph_hashes_tags
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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"For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever."

alibrarianslibrary Thank you! I have been wanting something new and short to read on serial. This seems like a perfect read for this week! Thanks! 8y
steph_hashes_tags @alibrarianslibrary I'm going with friends to the March in DC on Saturday and thought this was a good warm-up read - it's especially suited for Serial because it forces you to pause to process what you're reading instead of just flying through it! 8y
TheBookbabeblog84 @steph_hashes_tags be careful at the March! I have to work on Saturday. 8y
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CrowCAH
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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For this photo challenge I decided to go with what books inspired MLK Jr. A Google search yielded Civil Disobedience, by Thoreau, and this article, detailing seven other books King referenced. And I couldn't help but boast about MLK being in MI for his "dream" speech, before he said it in Washington DC!
http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/11/20/10-books-inspired-dr-martin-luther-king-j...
#inspiredbymartinlutherkingjr #readjanuary

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steph_hashes_tags
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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"But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it."

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chowmeyow
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Among many talents, my friends can DRAW. Getting our protest game ready.

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sarahbellum
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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In moments of overwhelm, just take one step in the right direction. #Thoreau #politics #America 🇺🇸

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Gezemice
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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Mehso-so

A message to our conscience: when laws are unjust, we must disobey them. Thoreau's idea became the foundation of nonviolent protests. However, Thoreau advocates withdrawal, such as living poorly, not paying taxes, not even voting. This is impractical and ineffective, which is why Ghandi and the civil rights movement added protest to it, too. 3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️

Texreader I love Thoreau. 8y
Gezemice @Texreader I think I need to read Walden, this was a bit short and I feel I am missing context. 8y
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Hipmommy
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
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"But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it." #wordstoelectawomanby

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GoneFishing
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau

Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil...

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Kathrin
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau
Pickpick

For me the essence of the essay is: we need to move away from government to individual, but it can only work if the individuals are mature enough to be a responsible part of society. The civil disobedience portion was also discussed, but I thought it was a minor part.

Interesting but hard read due to the language used.

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Kathrin
Civil Disobedience | Henry David Thoreau

After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest.

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