The spirit of Thoreau

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

4 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

07/20/2008

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Humanities/philosophy

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Summary :

The life of Thoreau.
Thoreau's life in Emerson's cabins.
Thoreau as a political prisoner.
His tendency for a principled anarchism.
Thoreau's writings on slavery.
Martin Luther King and Thoreau.

Abstract

Henry David thoreau was an essayist and philosopher who played a major role in the moral consciousness of the United States during the decades leading up to the Civil War. An influential and revolutionary thinker through both his writings on transcendentalism and his ideas of natural preservation, thoreau exists as a testament to the goodness of the American spirit. His ideas on nonviolence are perhaps the best example of this, and his influence as an abolitionist can be seen as the greatest accomplishment of his life. Throughout the history of nonviolent action, thoreau stands at the ends of both proponent (Civil Disobedience) and opponent (A Plea for John Brown). Examining each of these perspectives, along with some investigation of thoreau in personality and belief, we can develop a greater understanding of why such a thinker constructs these ideas of nonviolent action.