Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience"

"Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary" (9)

I have a friend who said that there were two ways of making a change in the world: one can devote one's life as a volunteer and be the mind and hands that effect change, or one can work in our capitalist society and raise funds to help support those making the changes.  That is, one can offer time, or money, but rarely both.

I've always struggled with this; I realise that not-for-profits depend on my donations to survive, and I also realise that without working, I would have little to donate to them.  But still, I recognise that for myself, donating money or unwanted clothes or objects is a bit of a cop-out, a way to feel like I've done something, when really, I could be doing so much more.

Thoreau takes this concept and builds on it.  He questions the impotence that makes citizens wait for others to take charge and effect change, questioning the passivity of the democratic system.  He says "They [patriots] hesitate, and they regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect.  They will wait, well-disposed for other to remedy the evil that they may no longer have it to regret" (7). Here, he highlights the idleness of the patriot, even the remedied evil has more active power then they as it is removed from their sphere of regret.

In much the same way that today, we recognise the sociopathic nature of the 'corporation', Thoreau sees the evils inherent in government.  He sees the government as divorced from the ethics felt by man, and sees that the best way to fight this power is to refuse to support it.  If you are a government employee, leave your job.  If you are a tax payer, stop paying taxes - this will do more good than harm in Thoreau's eyes, as he sees the state only as an oppressive body. Interestingly, he does not focus on the individual rights to private property; as a matter of fact, he says "the more money, the less virtue" (14), for in his eyes the ease of purchasing undermines the value of that purchased.

I like the basis of Thoreau's ideas, however his tactic of challenging and emasculating the 'men' of his state in order to provoke them to take his side is heavy-handed and his anecdote regarding his day in prison felt privileged and naïve.  The shift in focus near the end of the essay towards the hope that the State would evolve into something that he could proudly participate in seemed a little too pat to be sincere. Still, Thoreau tackles ethical problems and challenges still relevant and applicable today.

Works Cited:
Thoreau, Henry David. Civil Disobedience. Public Domain: Amazon. Kindle e-book.