Author: Henry David Thoreau
Translator: Seung-young Kang
Publisher: Eunhaengnamu
Hardcover / 231 pages
| Important! Please read before you order! |
| >>>This book is written in Korean only. |
About This Book
Henry David Thoreau is the father of the modern concept of Civil Disobedience,
later used successfully by Mahatma Gandhi, and the Reverend Martin Luther King
Jr. Thoreau was a champion of justice. Thoreau makes his views of Justice known
in "Civil Disobedience" and other essays. Thoreau was not afraid to fight for
his freedom. He fought for freedom using non-violent protest, and his pen.
A wise man once said, I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend with
my life your right to say it. I feel so strongly about this statement that I
would gladly have it written on my tombstone, if such was my fate. Freedom of
speech is the god given right of all individuals. When man has lost everything
in life he still has his word! The major difference between the United States
and other governments is the right of freedom of speech. No where in the world
is this right held so dearly. The argument over freedom of speech has been going
on since the inception of the United States. Thoreau fought for the rights of
the individual. He is the father of the modern concept of Civil Disobedience,
later used successfully by Mahatma Gandhi, and the Reverend Martin Luther King
Jr. Thoreau says in the final paragraph of "Civil Disobedience": "There will
never be a free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the
individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and
authority are derived, and treats him accordingly" (Thoreau, Henry David, Walden
and Other Writings. "Civil Disboedience," Bantam: New York, 1984. P. 104)
A perfect example of Throeau's sense of Justice is when he tells the story of
when he protested against the Poll Tax. In "Civil Disobedience" Thoreau tells
how he refused to pay a Poll Tax, because he did not wish to support the
Mexican-American War. Thoreau says, "Witness the present Mexican war, the work
of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool;
for, in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure." He is
arrested and thrown in Jail. He could easily afford to pay the tax, but he felt
it takes at least one person to stand up for what they believed. The poet, Ralph
Waldo Emerson comes to visit him while he is in jail. And asks Thoreau what he
is doing in jail. Why not just pay the tax? Emerson asks. Thoreau replies, are
you against the war? Emerson replies, yes. Thoreau says, then the question is
what are you doing out there? Thoreau's views of justice can be seen in the
following statements about injustice. If government, "is of such a nature that
it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the
law. Let you life be a counter friction to stop the machine. What I have to do
is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn"
(P. 92).
Thoreau cherished the rights of the minority to voice their opinion. He
questions of our government, "Why does it not cherish its wise minority? . . .
Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and
pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels" (P. 92). Thoreau believed that freedom
of speech was the most cherished of all rights, and that we should never
relinquish that right, for any reason. -- essortment.com
Availability: Usually ships in 5~10 business days.
 | |||||||||
 |
| ||||||||
Can't
find what you're looking for?
