Menú

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

Cover von On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Autor: Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862 Sprache: Englisch Quelle: Project Gutenberg ID Gutenberg: 71 Aufrufe: 2

Inhaltsangabe

Henry David Thoreau’s essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” first published in 1849, argues that individuals should answer to their conscience when confronted with unjust laws. Instead of treating government authority as something citizens must obey unquestioningly, Thoreau maintains that laws can fail moral standards and that compliance can make injustice easier to sustain. Drawing on his opposition to slavery and to the Mexican-American War, he presents the idea that governments may permit wrongdoing rather than prevent it, making personal refusal an important step toward justice. The essay later became a touchstone for nonviolent resistance and influenced major figures in social reform.