Summary:
Provides a counterpoint to Thoreau's argument in his essay, Civil Disobedience. Considers Thoreau as a hypocrite and an anarchist. Argues that Thoreau's argument was not valid for several reasons, but mainly due to his logos and ethos.
Webster's dictionary defines civil disobedience as "refusal to obey governmental demands esp. as a nonviolent and usu. collective means of forcing concessions from the government." Henry Thoreau wrote an essay titled Civil Disobedience that has through the years become the authoritative argument on the subject. People as distinguished as Martin Luther King and Gandhi have used this essay as a cornerstone in their respective movements. However, I see Thoreau more as a hypocrite and an anarchist. While his goals might have been noble, like most theorists, he does not take into account the realities of the world we live in. I will convince you in this essay that Thoreau's argument was not valid for several reasons, but mainly due to his logos and ethos.
Thoreau and Webster both defined civil.....
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