English Professor Peter Elbow orated, “Everyone agrees in theory that we can’t judge a new idea or point of view unless we enter into it and try it out, but the practice itself is rare”. From this quote, one can render that contemporarily people have shown fear in deviating from the norm of society and attempting a novel way of life, despite the conventions of society being condemned multiple times. The statement suggests individuals to enter society as fully as possible into a point of view that may be unfamiliar or even disagreeable, to suspend judgment and experience it, to look for virtues and strengths that might otherwise be missed. Notably, the stressing of declaring a statement that criticizes an unjust, yet resonated aspect of life
…show more content…
In an ironic and twisted statement, Thoreau believes that the best habitat for an individual who promote civil disobedience and activate their morals to its fullest potential is behind bars, where their physical freedom is suspended, but their moral freedom is liberated. Thoreau asserts, “under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison” (Thoreau, 2). Thoreau believes that with being in prison, the conscientious individual is truly breaking or refusing to adhere to the unjust law and makes a powerful statement to being faithful to one’s beliefs. Additionally, in civil disobedience, acting against injustices in the calm, most nonviolent way, makes one morally and mentally superior. In further detail, Thoreau evaded tax payment for six years knowing that commitment will appropriate the occurrences of the Mexican War and the consequences that may ensue. With this idea in mind, the anagnorisis in Civil Disobedience comes with Thoreau’s revelation, “the state never intentionally confronts a man’s sense intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It’s is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength” (Thoreau, 2). This understanding of morality and wit over physical strength proved to be a positive influence to a great number of historical individuals such as Martin Luther King,
In an ironic and twisted statement, Thoreau believes that the best habitat for an individual who promote civil disobedience and activate their morals to its fullest potential is behind bars, where their physical freedom is suspended, but their moral freedom is liberated. Thoreau asserts, “under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison” (Thoreau, 2). Thoreau believes that with being in prison, the conscientious individual is truly breaking or refusing to adhere to the unjust law and makes a powerful statement to being faithful to one’s beliefs. Additionally, in civil disobedience, acting against injustices in the calm, most nonviolent way, makes one morally and mentally superior. In further detail, Thoreau evaded tax payment for six years knowing that commitment will appropriate the occurrences of the Mexican War and the consequences that may ensue. With this idea in mind, the anagnorisis in Civil Disobedience comes with Thoreau’s revelation, “the state never intentionally confronts a man’s sense intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It’s is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength” (Thoreau, 2). This understanding of morality and wit over physical strength proved to be a positive influence to a great number of historical individuals such as Martin Luther King,