Civil Disobedience
In society, there are so many rules that we are expected to abide by. However, some rules aren't fair and would be benefited by reform or revision. But, how is the government or rule-making body supposed to know which rules are considered unfair by citizens? If we are expected to follow these rules and punished if we don't, people would never resist the rule in fear of facing punishment.
In the passage, "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau, he emphasizes the point that citizens should speak up and express their opinions about unjust situations in society. He says that people who blindly follow the rules without any further consideration are not men but are "small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power" (Thoreau 384). Part of being a man is using our own conscience to evaluate the situations around us rather than just blindly accepting them. Without our conscience, we are merely machines who mechanically follow the ideals manufactured and instilled within us. Without our conscience, we are just products of the overarching organizations that have programmed us to think they want us to.
Each person has a unique conscience and has a different approach. If we are silenced and don't use our consciences to improve society, individuality within society is lost.
However, protesting in a violent way is also harmful to society. We must strive to find the balance in which we don't negatively disrupt societal functions but we also let our voices be heard so that we can act as a catalyst for change. In other words, we have to disobey laws in a "civil" manner.
In the passage, "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau, he emphasizes the point that citizens should speak up and express their opinions about unjust situations in society. He says that people who blindly follow the rules without any further consideration are not men but are "small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power" (Thoreau 384). Part of being a man is using our own conscience to evaluate the situations around us rather than just blindly accepting them. Without our conscience, we are merely machines who mechanically follow the ideals manufactured and instilled within us. Without our conscience, we are just products of the overarching organizations that have programmed us to think they want us to.
Each person has a unique conscience and has a different approach. If we are silenced and don't use our consciences to improve society, individuality within society is lost.
However, protesting in a violent way is also harmful to society. We must strive to find the balance in which we don't negatively disrupt societal functions but we also let our voices be heard so that we can act as a catalyst for change. In other words, we have to disobey laws in a "civil" manner.
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