Life Without Principle Summary and Analysis

In "Life Without Principle" Thoreau condemns the pursuit of money as a guiding force in the choice of a man's work. Mankind has become distracted from truly important things by the economic and political aspects of society. These should only be minor parts of a man's life, he argues, not all-consuming purposes.

Thoreau begins the essay by describing how constantly busy society is. Trains run non-stop and everyone seems mostly interested in obtaining more money. However, working only for money is not the best use of a person's time, Thoreau argues. It is demeaning. He proposes that anyone working at a job ask himself if he would not leave that job for another if he were offered more money. If so, then he has subverted the purpose of work. The object of the craftsman, Thoreau argues, should...