Henry David Thoreau Was An American Author, Philosopher,

Henry David Thoreau was an American author, philosopher, poet, and abolitionist. He was well known for his essay, â€Å"Civil Disobedience†. His essay criticized the American government for starting the war against Mexico. In fact, his essay demonstrated that Thoreau was an individual who opposed against the government’s influence over the citizens of the United States. Thoreau thought that the United States would benefit without the government getting involved. In fact, the author expressed his feelings by greatly accepting the motto, â€Å"That government is best which governs least and best which governs not at all† (1). This quote tells me that Thoreau had no faith in that particular government based on its actions that took place†¦show more content†¦The second statement gives me the idea that Thoreau wanted an improved government that functioned better rather than not having a government at all. It can be inferred that Thoreau only want s the government to get involved if it possesses moral sense and the country is in need of assistance. Consequently, these statements are similar to each other based on the fact that Thoreau wants the government to lessen its powers. The author was against the government due to treating citizens like weapons. Thoreau was criticizing the government by questioning the characteristics of the citizens, whether they were, â€Å"men or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power† (2). Making a comparison between the two identities, Thoreau was referring to the fact that men are individuals who should think for themselves. Additionally, Thoreau felt that men should be in control of themselves, instead of the â€Å"unscrupulous man† that represents the corrupted government. Referring to the Mexican-American War, the author considers soldiers as â€Å"men† who â€Å"refuse to serve in an unjust war by those, who do refuse to sust ain the unjust government which makes the war; is applauded by those whose own act and authority he disregards and set at naught† (4). He admired people who disobeyed the government for committing cruel actions like declaring war against another country.Show MoreRelatedTranscendentalism : The And The Movement1027 Words   |  5 Pages10 point per day late penalty. Define Transcendentalism Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the 1820s and 1830s. The movement was a reaction against the general state of intellectualism. During what years did the movement occur? The Transcendentalist movement occurred during the 1820s, and 1830s. 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