Henry David Thoreau - "Civil Disobedience" + EMerson
Thoreau is best known for which book?
Walden
what does emerson mean in the statement imitation is suicide?
if you copy someone else you are killing your own thoughts
According to Thoreau, what is the very best kind of government?
one that governs least/ not at all
Thoreau was thrown in prison for one night in 1847 because he
refused to pay the poll tax
nonviolent
By putting "civil" in his title, Thoreau may be trying to qualify that any disobedience should be
What kind of government does Thoreau describe in 'Civil Disobedience'?
Democracy
What is Thoreau's first thought upon being imprisoned in "Civil Disobedience"?
He considers the prison a foolish institution.
Based on Thoreau's opinion about the Mexican-American War and slavery in the United States, why did he most likely refuse to pay the poll taxes, as described in "Civil Disobedience"?
He disagreed with the government's actions.
In "Civil Disobedience," what is Thoreau's view of the state at the end of the essay?
He feels sorry for the state for not acting in a sensible way.
Which would be the best way of describing the structure of Thoreau's observations in "Civil Disobedience"?
He moves from a consideration of his surroundings to an evaluation of the state as a whole.
In "Civil Disobedience," what is Thoreau's last thought about the state before he loses respect for it?
He thinks the state can't tell its friends from its enemies.
Based on "Civil Disobedience," what statement did Thoreau, like his modern-day successors, hope to make with his imprisonment?
He wanted to suggest that one should be willing to go to great lengths for a belief.
Which best describes one way in which "Civil Disobedience" impacted people and events later in history?
It fortified the beliefs of those who thought the government acted unfairly.
Based on evidence of his personality in "Civil Disobedience," what effect would a longer jail stay most likely have had on Thoreau?
It would have hardened his resolve to assert his rights.
what does the desire for consistency do to new ideas?
Limits them
Who does Emerson believe can judge good and bad for each individual?
Only the individual
What does "Civil Disobedience" suggest about the public opinion of tax evasion in Thoreau's time?
Tax evasion was only a moderate crime.
What did Ralph Waldo Emerson believe regarding one's self acceptance?
That he must take himself for better for worse as his portion
What did Ralph Waldo Emerson believe regarding imitation?
That imitation is suicide
Why does Thoreau say the majority rules in democracies?
The majority is stronger than the minority.
why does Emerson believe that Moses, plato, and Milton should be admired?
They produced original ideas.
Transcendalists were part of what movements?
abolitionism and women's rights
What is transcendentalism?
an idealistic philosophical and social movement which taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity.
How did Transcendentalists view nature?
as a provider of virtue and wisdom;
what does emerson mean by the term "self-reliance?"
depend on yourself and your own ideas
Based on Thoreau's beliefs and "Civil Disobedience," he most likely decided not to pay poll tax because
he disagreed with the idea of it.
What makes a majority (i.e. a government)?
the greater number of people, a group that is physically strongest
In "Civil Disobedience," what does Thoreau think about right after he wonders if he could have been of service to his community?
the significance of the wall between himself and others
according to emerson, why are great people often misunderstood?
they come up with new ideas that are often rejected
According to Emerson, why are we moved by "works of genius"?
they reflect our own thoughts