Thoreau Flashcards
1
Q
Thoreau
A
- Born in Mass, studies at an Ivy
2
Q
Thoreau and Emerson
A
- Was mentored by Emerson and lived with him
3
Q
Self-Sufficiency Era
A
- Moved to the forest to resist poll tax due to slaver and Mexican Was
- Writes ‘Walden’
4
Q
Civil Disobedience
A
- Written after arrest
- CA, legitimacy of government depends on justice, must resist unjust laws
5
Q
John Brown
A
- Stormed the federal armory to arm slaves for an uprising
- T supported him because his actions were necessary for change
- Civil War followed
6
Q
Just Laws
A
- Citizens must consider if laws are just
- Positivism (law=justice) is fake news
7
Q
Justice and Conscience
A
- Nature can help us appreciate justice
- Justice isn’t just out there, it has to be determined through own conscience
8
Q
Government and Evil
A
- Not inherently evil, just imperfect and unjust
- Pop can pressure gov to align it
9
Q
Problem with Democracy
A
- We get used to just following laws
- Acting with the community is a lie we tell ourselves to null conscience
10
Q
Limited Government
A
- Government is best when it doesn’t dictate morality
11
Q
Utility and Locke
A
- T takes issue with the idea that voting is political action
- Citizens vote and think that absolves them of all other political responsibilities
12
Q
Voting as Gaming
A
- It’s a bet, two-party system makes voting reductive
- Expediency is not political rights
13
Q
People Who Rebel
A
- Those committed to humanity are dismissed for lack of expediency
- Society lionizes those who rebel for reasonable ends
14
Q
Collective Obligations
A
- We have an obligation to our conscience
- Collective obligation in tandem with individual
15
Q
Action as Disobedience
A
- Must come to terms with justice by breaking self (psych and poli)
- Antagonism is produced by disobedience
16
Q
Political Progress
A
- Rights need to be reflected in the population
- H sees US as recognition of political progress
- T thinks we can go further
17
Q
Government and Political Progress
A
- Inidv over the collective, have the capacity for self-exam
- Gov enacts rules, does not critically analyse
- Democracy does not mean we recognize equality
18
Q
Influences
A
- Coined civil disobedience
- Nature as justice
- Conscience as directed by nature
