One of the greatest leaders that greatly impacted society and still influences culture today is Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was an advocate for peaceful resistance, he believed in standing up against injustices with peace. On the contrary, there is another great author who impacted society with his literature, and his name is Henry David Thoreau. Henry Thoreau believed in a much different manner of resisting in society. He believed in nonconforming and breaking the law. His literature greatly impacted how society views nonconformity today. Gandhi and Thoreau have many similarities and differences about the way things in society should run, and how the government should govern. Gandhi and Thoreau share many similar thoughts …show more content…
Thoreau had completely different views and perspectives than Gandhi. Thoreau believed in breaking the law if it is unjust or abusive. In the essay Civil Disobedience it says “I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest”. This citation shows that Thoreau did not want to follow the laws. Thoreau also believed in living life by following moral law and not law stated in the constitution. Thoreau also believed that the government does best if it does not rule over the people. In the essay Civil Disobedience it says “That government is best which governs least”. This shows what Thoreau felt the government should not do. Many people felt intimidated by his radical ideas, The government also felt threatened by him. He refused to pay a poll tax and was put into jail, as a civilian it was his responsibility to follow this law but he broke it. Although, he is viewed as a radical and a crazy person he greatly impacted people’s views about speaking out against laws that are abusive. Gandhi and Thoreau had many similar views about how life works and the correct way a citizen should act in a society. They also had very different perspectives, but both of these men influenced and taught our society, how violence and peace come hand in hand and how they should be applied in
Thoreau was strongly against any violent act of protest, but should a person disagree with his/her government, Thoreau would encourage that person to do so in a peaceful manner. Civil disobedience serves the purpose of giving the people a say. For example, Thoreau stated, “Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward attaining it“ (Civil
In each writing, both display the injustice in the government from different perspectives. Both Martin Luther King Jr. And Henry David Thoreau targeted large audiences rather than small ones. They did this so that they could capture more people's attention all at once. Thoreau insisted that unfair
Both Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King had experience with civil disobedience. They were both arrested for peacefully protesting laws they found unfair. Thoreau was put in prison for refusing to pay a poll tax, and was ultimately protesting slavery. King, on the other hand, was put in jail for protesting the unjust treatment of blacks and other colored people across America. Though the circumstances were slightly different, King and Thoreau use many of the same techniques to appeal to their audiences.
Civil Disobedience between King and Thoreau Martin Luther King, Jr. and Henry David Thoreau were two different people living in different periods, but both their impacts changed history. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. are very similar, but very different people. King has lived with unfair laws and has protested against them along with Thoreau protesting taxes. Despite those similarities, King thinks citizens can find peace by fighting for their beliefs, but Thoreau finds his peace through God and nature. King and Thoreau have greatly impacted today’s society regardless of their similarities and differences.
Thoreau believes that an individual who acts with fairness, righteousness, and moral integrity has the ability to make a positive impact and influence societal change. heavily influenced by Gandhi's principles, expands on nonviolent civil disobedience as a collective and organized approach to challenge unjust laws and societal norms. He stresses the importance of direct action, peaceful protests, and that the power of love can overcome hate. Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" laid the groundwork for later civil rights movements, and its ideas on individual conscience and nonviolent resistance inspired people like Gandhi and King.
There are some similarities and differences with Gandhi and Transcendentalism. Mahatma Gandhi’s beliefs include Civil disobedience, Self-respect, Everyone is equal, and should be treated with respect. Gandhi believed in himself and his views and even got assassinated for it. Mahatma Gandhi’s beliefs and those of the Transcendentalist beliefs can be quite the same in more ways than you may think.
By analyzing both of these writings it’s almost obvious that Martin Luther King was influenced by Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” because they both use very similar writing techniques. King also described a four step to a non-violent protest, and the first one is to collect facts to determine whether an injustice law exists. This relates to Thoreau’s critique of an unjust government because Thoreau believed that every machine had
The main similarity in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Henry David Thoreau is the idea of revolution against an abusive government. The main difference is the context in which each document was written, the Declaration of Independence as the colonies were rebelling against Great Britain and forming their own government, and Civil Disobedience as criticisms of the government developed within nearly seventy-five years after the signing of the Declaration. Both Jefferson and Thoreau share ideas of revolution, although overthrowing the government is seen in many cases as illegal. Both documents share a common theme of revolution, and both authors believe the best way to move toward a better government is civil disobedience. Jefferson and Thoreau believe that whether it is the struggle for independence or being freed from injustices of the government, civil disobedience and revolution are necessary in order to live in a society based on freedom.
"Thoreau, Gandhi, and Mandela" Henry David Thoreau, Mohands K. Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela reflect the spirit of optimism and individualism. Discussing each writer's message about the power of the individual to bring about social reform. From Civil Disobedience by Thoreau was an essay about a protest against slavery and the U.S. was with Mexico, Thoreau refused to pay a poll tax- and was arrested. In "Civil Disobedience", he reflects on the night he spent in jail and criticizes the government for staying from its true purpose to serve the people. I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and system-theatrically.
In my opinion Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. have very similar purposes in their writings. Both author 's are writing to protest unfair laws. But they also have very different audiences. In Civil Disobediance, Thoreau writes how those who break unjust laws should suffer the consequences as a protest to the laws.
Fredrick Douglas and Henry David Thoreau have the same ideas yet different experiences which shine through their writings. The main idea is that I would have had no idea that Thoreau was an abolitionist from this writing alone. This excerpt from Thoreau is extremely philosophical, as were most of his other writings, and could only loosely be applied to the issue of slavery while Douglas’ writing was strictly an autobiography. This simple difference goes a long way in highlighting their differences as rights activists. Douglas is direct and evokes change through his actions and words while Thoreau is indirect, yet he makes you think about your decisions and how they affect the world around you.
India’s leader Mohandas Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was influenced by David Thoreau 's Civil Disobedience arguments while sitting in jail. Gandhi loosely adopted the term “civil disobedience” for non-violent protests and refused to cooperate with injustice. Following his release, he protested the registration law by joining labor strikes and organizing a large non-violent march. After the marches, the Boer government finally agreed to end the most divisive sections of the law. In 1907, he campaigned in South Africa and wrote a translated synopsis of Thoreau 's argument for the Indian Opinion.
The first similarity in these two works is simply the subject matter. Obviously, Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is about his protest, and Gandhi’s work speaks about a protest that is going to happen the following day of the writing of this essay (Gandhi). In, “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau speaks of the poll tax, or tax placed on people rather than property often for the right to vote, that he refused to pay. In turn, he is arrested and spends some time in jail (Thoreau). He spends a lot of time talking about the injustice of charging someone for something that they are not a part
As their are many reasons of Gandhis and Thoreau, they both have different influences. Gandhi and Thoreau are influential people that changed history today The first things in common with Gandhi and Thoreau is they talk about the problems like the laws. Gandhi and Thoreau don’t agree in what the government does such as having to pay a lot of taxes. The only
The two stories that we have read in class is “civil obedience” and “Mahatma Gandhi assassinated”. Civil Obedience is about Thoreau refusing to pay a poll tax and is sent to jail and he share his feelings/experiences. Gandhi article is clearly about Gandhi is the leader of the India’s tribe of the protest and he is assassinated. Both stories shows similarities and differences. The similarities between Gandhi and Thoreau is that they both Protest for rights, were sent to jail, and both believed in civil disobedience.