Resistance to Civil Government
...ust government. For example, Thoreau’s own governmental disobedience consisted of his failure to pay taxes and resulted in his night captivity. His act may have at first seemed ludicrous and ineffective for he did not risk anything by spending that one night in jail; however, it conveyed his explanation that going to jail in support of humanistic ideals is not a negative thing. In fact, it can bring the attention of moral and good people to an unjust and evil law and maybe lead to its eventual repeal; thus, holding a positive value. Thoreau’s peaceful actions of opposition further showed that passive resistance can, in fact, challenge even the “superior physical strength” of State. If a large enough number of good citizens would be put into jail, or if there is enough resistance to a law, the system will be overstrained, in turn, making the unjust law unenforceable. It is for this reason that Thoreau stresses it is the duty of a good and honest citizen to disobey immoral government, even if it means facing imprisonment. To further understand Thoreau’s reasoning behind civil disobedience, it is vital to recognize and understand his governmental beliefs. Thoreau’s views on government are not some anti-State beliefs. His actions of resistance are not evoked by some anarchic notions, but by his logical disapproval of oppressive and unfair government policies. Thoreau finds the democratic government to be unjust for he strongly objects to the notion of majority rule. He notes that the majority is often controlled by the views of only a few powerful men, to whom the government lends itself as a utility used for the acquisition of selfish economical profits. Democracy has drifted from its primitive ideals of freedom by morphing the government into a hindrance to the people who seek moral and just rule. Thoreau goes further by saying that much of the time majority views do not coincide with what is morally right; therefore, the citizen must never “resign his conscience to the legislator.” To further portray his beliefs on government, he compares the passive citizens to soldiers marching to their deaths in order to fight for causes which they consciously perceive as unjust. Instead of obeying what is morally unjust, Thoreau believes that “every man [should] make known what kind of government would command his respect.” If the government is morally unreasonable, th...