- Joined
- Feb 21, 2009
- Messages
- 62
My lit class had a discussion over Henry David Thoreau's Resistance to Civil Government the other day, and I just wanted to get some of your reactions to his arguments.
So basically, he says that by joining the military we're giving up our consciences by subjecting them to the authority of another (higher-up) person's conscience. Specifically, he's talking about the Mexican War (1846) and soldiers' requirement of following orders that are immoral because of faulty leadership. He's urging us to basically refuse service - to the military, as well as (I take it) to the rest of humanity, since we're forced to follow another person's conscience in many aspects of our lives. So what Thoreau does is go and live in the wilderness, but (hypocritically, I'd say) only about 2 miles outside of civilization so he can still return there every now and then and reap their benefits when he pleases.
So many things about his preachings bother me and scream "Argue with this man! Show him his faults!" I just wanted to see what you guys all thought of it.
**Funny thing, actually. Thursdays is lab day for ROTC, and we wear our uniforms to class. So I'm sitting there in my ACUs...and we're discussing how I'm wrong in subjecting my conscience to others' by joining the military. Huh.**
So basically, he says that by joining the military we're giving up our consciences by subjecting them to the authority of another (higher-up) person's conscience. Specifically, he's talking about the Mexican War (1846) and soldiers' requirement of following orders that are immoral because of faulty leadership. He's urging us to basically refuse service - to the military, as well as (I take it) to the rest of humanity, since we're forced to follow another person's conscience in many aspects of our lives. So what Thoreau does is go and live in the wilderness, but (hypocritically, I'd say) only about 2 miles outside of civilization so he can still return there every now and then and reap their benefits when he pleases.
So many things about his preachings bother me and scream "Argue with this man! Show him his faults!" I just wanted to see what you guys all thought of it.
**Funny thing, actually. Thursdays is lab day for ROTC, and we wear our uniforms to class. So I'm sitting there in my ACUs...and we're discussing how I'm wrong in subjecting my conscience to others' by joining the military. Huh.**