Reflection Blog- Civil Disobedience

In Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, there are many characteristics from both the Romanticism and the Trancendentalism time periods. A few characteristics that are commonly found in Trancendentalism writing are that it is very political, it also values emotion over reason, and it stresses that every person knows the difference between right and wrong. There are a few similar characteristics between Romanticism and Trancendentalsim, but there are also quite a few differences. For example, Romanticism writings are more likely to include imagination and descriptions than Trancendentalism writings. I think that Civil Disobedience is a great example of Trancendentalism writing because the entire essay is about government, and one of the characteristics of Trancendentalism writing is that it is very political. Throughout his entire essay, Henry David Thoreau is discussing the problems he sees with the government and pretty much defines what he think is an unjust government. At the very beginning of his essay, he says that he agrees with this statement "That government is best which governs not at all", which I think shows that he really does not like the government (Thoreau's). One of the biggest things Thoreau argues in his essay is that there is sometimes a difference between what is right and what is voted on by the strongest group (Thoreau's). Basically what he is saying is that just because the biggest or strongest group votes on something, that does not make it right. He thinks that people should decide things based on conscience rather than majority rules. He says

Must the citizen, ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think we should be men first, and subjects afterward (Thoreau's).

Thoreau believes that if a person respects laws and the government to much, they will do bad things. He thinks that people should do what they are obligated to do, not just what the laws tell them to do. Although throughout most of his essay he is critizing the government, in this passage he states that he is not looking to eleminate government, but to make a better one

But, to speak pracically 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 obaining it (Thoreau's).

I think that Civil Disobedience was a really cool essay to read because it was filled with Henry David Thoreau's opinions on the government. I thought it was neat that he said just because its the majority does not mean its right because the majority could just be the strongest group, not necessarily the group that is justified. I think that Civil Disobedience is a great example of Trancendentalism simply because of how political it is and because that is a characteristic of the writing style from this time.

Bibliography

"Thoreau's Civil Disobedience - 1." The Thoreau Reader. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. .