Thoreau says that soldiers are on the same level as wood, earth, and stones
because they blindly do what the government tells them to do
. When they do that (rather than paying attention to their own consciences) they are no longer like people.
Why does Thoreau look down on soldiers?
7)Why does Thoreau look down on soldiers, captains, generals, etc.?
Because they follow and serve even if they don’t believe in what the law is
or if it goes against common sense. He says, “Soldiers have no opportunity to exercise moral sense, reduced to the existence comparable to that of a horse or dog.”
What metaphor does Thoreau use for soldiers?
It compares the government with a human body that has arms; and one of them is the army. On the other hand, Thoreau uses the word “
standing
” in two different ways. A “standing army” is one that is maintained by a government on an ongoing basis. The “standing government” is the one that is currently in place.
What does Thoreau believe is a man’s duty?
Thoreau believes “it is not a man’s duty …
to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong
,” meaning that men are not morally responsible for actively fighting injustice in the world (part 1, par. 13).
Why does Thoreau compare the government to a machine?
Thoreau then returns to the metaphor of the government-as-machine. He says that
if an injustice is part of the “necessary friction” of the “machine
of government,” then it should be left alone. … Thoreau then argues that working for change through government takes too much time and requires a person to waste his life.
How does Thoreau view soldiers in the military?
Thoreau says that
soldiers are on the same level as wood, earth, and stones because they blindly do what the government tells them to do
. When they do that (rather than paying attention to their own consciences) they are no longer like people.
Why does Thoreau say the rich are less likely to practice civil disobedience?
Why does he say that the rich are less likely to practice civil disobedience? Thoreau is
highly critical of materialism and consumption
. He argues that when people have a lot of wealth they begin to concentrate on how to spend their money, instead of on how they should live their lives.
What does Thoreau mean by standing army?
“The standing
army is only an arm of the standing government
.” which he is trying to get across that the army that the people think of as “the government” is only a small piece to the whole. … “Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed on, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage.
What does the standing army is only an arm of the standing government?
The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is
equally liable to be abused
and perverted before the people can act through it.
How does Thoreau use metaphor in Civil Disobedience?
Henry David Thoreau, in his essay “Civil Disobedience” argues that American citizens should not be loath to disobey their corrupt and useless government, using metaphor as
a rhetorical device to prove his point
and provide a call to action for readers.
What does Thoreau suggest is worse than disobeying an unjust law?
He disagreed with other American people who believed
the majority should change the law first
because it is a worse thing to disobey the law than to do what an unjust law says to do. Thoreau wrote that breaking the unjust laws is better: “Break the law. … However, Thoreau did not think people should be criminals.
What does Thoreau consider the most effective way of expressing his displeasure with the government?
Thoreau considers
civil disobedience
one of the most effective ways of expressing his displeasure with the government. Civil disobedience, as the name suggests, is the active disregard and breaking of a government rule when a private citizen believes it is unnecessary or even against society’s best interests.
What is Thoreau’s solution?
Thoreau’s solution to
reform the government develops the idea of the relationship between the individual and the state
, by suggesting that people are not bound to obey the government. If a government allows injustice, the individual can and should resist it.
What is Thoreau’s central message in Walden?
Thoreau’s central message in Walden is
to live simply, independently, and wisely
.
Why did Thoreau leave the woods?
In the conclusion of Walden he writes, “
I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there
. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one.” And Thoreau did accomplish a great deal in those two years, and not just in a literary sense.
In what three ways does Thoreau say that a person can serve the government?
Focus: Thoreau describes three ways citizens can serve the state:
with their bodies, with their heads, and with their conscience
.
