MLA

Thoreau was against tax payment because it contributed to his imprisonment since he was against slavery. This is what led to his great political writing. Since he never had enough land, he never worried about its tax though he was greatly pinched by the poll tax which was levied to all adults irrespective of income standards equally.

He was arrested and imprisoned in 1846 due to lack of tax payment. On top of the jail term, he was supposed to pay a certain fine of which he went contrary with. By the end of the day, his relatives paid the fine without his knowledge and he was set free. In Thoreau’s point of view, the payment of taxes made man a servant to the state. He greatly opposed this and preferred that a man should be first men and the issue of servants should come up later on. He followed the principle of doing what he thought was right for him to do and not what is dictated.

Before his arrest, he used to question the reason people decide to obey laws without criticizing them to be just or not. He greatly wondered why some people would decide to obey laws they were sure they are not right. Thoreau became so mad the time his relatives paid his fine for him in the jail. He thought that was unjust and they shouldn’t have paid it.

Being conscious and collectiveness is the major principal to his political philosophy. He thought that the individual person should at all times be final in judging the just and the unjust. He never blamed the government about anything but the individuals. Thoreau knew very well that it was a personal decision to do the just or the unjust. Thoreau criticized the government for being referred to as the voice of the people. He wondered whether the voice should be heeded because sometimes the voice could only express the will of a few political leaders. On top of these, he said that even if the government would truly represent the voice of the people, it should not compel individuals from differing with its issues and plans put down by the government. Thoreau preferred the use of individuals as a major source of dependent power. This is what he refers to as free and enlightened state.

The Mexican-American war is seen as an evil compared to slavery in his days. Through the idea of the American’s to spread all over the continent caused the war between them and the Mexicans. Though this, the annexation of Texas really annoyed Thoreau, since it marked the beginning of the war. He though it was doubly wrong because it also led to slavery in the acquired new land. The domestic conflicts also pinched him so much, he felt so bad when he realized some of neighbors also supported the gravely war. He considered this war as the plans of a few people using the government as a tool for their own personal benefits. In such a case, he considered that with the cooperation of the people, the few individuals would not succeed in bringing such great destructions for their own personal gains. This also happens in the current world. For instance, there are some countries which are suffering from dictatorships. This can only be solved when people come together and say enough is enough and they should be given their freedom. In the recent years, there have been lots of political pressures in order to stabilize the government.

At a different angel, Thoreau never supported the idea of blind obedience to the government. He greatly wonders the reason and the psychology behind which a group of people would decide to kill others as a result of mere obedience. He thinks that soldiers in their obedience to the government become inhuman. Thoreau describes this as ignorance and says that they could only do better if they knew how. He thinks that it’s only people who believe they need a government who can accept an imperfect one. He also describes others as to obey the government to their personal interests which should not be encouraged.

On the other hand, he describes others who obey the government due to the fear of consequences. He sees this as unjust because the person will never live comfortably and honestly. Thoreau was fortunate in this case since he never had property to be seized by the government nor children who would go hungry. He had decided to remain a bachelor of thoughts as well as a real bachelor too. As a result he never feared of any consequences from the government.

This is also applicable in the current political life where the mighty rule. Through the current governmental systems, people who are very close to the state receive certain kinds of benefits. At certain instance, you’re forced to obey the state absolutely because the law dictates so.

Thoreau also uses the principal of problem with reformers to pass his message through. In his article, he thinks that instead of the reformers negotiating with the government about the Mexican war, they should instead break the link between them and the government. He says that through recognizing the government and the will of the people will make the authorities stronger. He says that petitioners who would go to talk to the government about the issue love more talking than acting. He feels that one should not leave what is really just to go and fulfill the will of the majority. This isn’t true justice according to him. He considers voting and politics as a certain kind of game and people should not be mislead in any way possible to leave the just and fulfill the will of other people.

There is also the duty to resist. He thinks that people should resist what is wrong and follow the just. In his ideological ideas, he thinks he never came this world to make it a better place but rather to live on it regardless of its state. He thinks that, if ka person was in a place where a state never existed, he should not worry much about it rather go along with his business undisrupted. He thinks that, the only right thing for a man to do is to do the just and deny association to the unjust.

In his life time Thoreau has left a great legacy since his articles are read all over the world. Even though this took a longer period, in his times they would only be presented to a small group of people or put in tiny circulatory periodicals. Gandhi considered him as the philosopher who lived without his fame by considering the written articles. He left such a great piece of work which is helpful in the current state of living.

Works cited

Thoreau.eserver.org,. 'Henry Thoreau And 'Civil Disobedience''. N. p., 2014. Web. 2 Jul. 2014.