Civil Disobedience Article Review

Whilst drawing illustrations from the American government, Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” revolves around the ideologies of good governance and instances in which a person can defy his or her government. Thus, with illustrations drawn from poetry usage and criticisms regarding the American society, Thoreau’s article covers different topics. For example, there is an argument towards his doubts about the government reforming its ways whilst dealing with the commoners.
While Thoreau concurs with the ideology of a sufficient government being the one that governs least, he still points out that such a rule is only applicable to a people that are ready for the same. However, the current government falls short of such a definition as it continues to be “inexpedient” as it fails to stand for the peoples’ will. As an example of his analysis, the author presents the “Mexican War” as the will of few a few people using the government as their tool. After all, there are no chances that the war is the desire of America’s population. Therefore, the American government can only be useful it stands aside and allows democracy to govern the people. In other words, the people are the creators of America as it is because the government only reaps off the hard work of its citizens. Through an emphasis on the role of the majority of the people in decision-making processes, the government fails to achieve justice. Hence, instead of heeding the advice of the strongest, one should concentrate on what the conscience dictates. On that note, the commoner ought to focus on his or her conscience rather than the law because the law can sometimes be wrong. A good illustration is slavery; morally the act is wrong but because the law supports it, white Americans continue to be slaveholders. In answer to the possibility of America’s destruction if the government abolishes slavery, Thoreau points out that most Americans are already slave sympathizers but lack the courage to voice their opinions.
Subsequently, Thoreau concentrates on the citizens and their roles towards their government and the laws enacted by the same. While people believe that the best they can do is voting reliable persons into office, the author refutes such notions stating, “Voting is a sort of gaming.” As evidence of his perceptions, the author draws attention to the control political parties have over their supporters throughout the electoral process. Therefore, because ballot voting does not mean anything in holding the government responsible, then people must ensure they avoid all forms of injustices. In other words, people need to disregard unjust laws but encourage what their conscience dictates to be right. On that note, because the American “Constitution is the evil”, changes cannot occur from within the government. A good illustration is the author’s quarrels with the tax collector in his bid to teach the latter person the evils of the absurd sum he readily aids the government to collect. With the possibility of serving a jail term, Thoreau merely states the worthiness of imprisonment if one is among others unjustly confined. After all, when one seeks justice, they fail to concentrate on property accumulation meaning that they do not stand to incur many losses. In addition, if one gains too much wealth they expectedly show alliances to the government that made them wealthy in the first place. In such a case, a citizen’s role in the regulation is impaired, because they feel indebted to the same. Therefore, to such people Thoreau only advises, “You must live within yourself.”
Conclusively, the author provides his personal experiences as a defense to his arguments. First, there is a jail term served for refusing to pay taxes. While in prison, Thoreau comes to a revelation in which, he views his friends as hypocrites only there for the favorable times. The person that pays his tax to aid him is supporting an injustice act. To those assuming he is refuting the law at all turns, he is merely attempting to find reconciliation between the law and justice for the people. Finally, he points out the need for the government to consider the perceptions of the population it governs. Upon the government’s decision to pay attention to the people, then democracy will be achievable.