Civil Disobedience (Thoreau)

Civil Disobedience

First page of "Resistance to Civil Government" as published in Aesthetic Papers, in 1849
Author	Henry David Thoreau
Language	English
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print
Text	Civil Disobedience at Wikisource

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Resistance to Civil Government, also called On the Duty of Civil Disobedience or Civil Disobedience, is an essay by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, first published in 1849. In it, Thoreau argues that individuals should prioritize their conscience over compliance with unjust laws, asserting that passive submission to government authority enables injustice. Thoreau was motivated by his opposition to slavery and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), which he viewed as morally and politically objectionable.

The essay has had a significant impact on political thought and activism, influencing figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, who adopted its principles in the struggle for Indian independence, and Martin Luther King Jr., who cited it as a key influence during the American civil rights movement. Its themes of individual responsibility and resistance to injustice have made it a foundational text in the philosophy of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience.