Morality In Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

The story of a fight against injustice in society is not an unfamiliar one in the pages of history. From the French Revolution of 1789 to the Civil Rights movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s, self-proclaimed soldiers of righteousness have taken up arms in order to bring justice back into the world. Entering onto that historical arena now is a new batch of warriors, ones who champion the rights of blacks, gays, and other traditionally marginalized groups. These new warriors will soon have to decide upon their weapons of choice, and their options include everything from amicable accommodation to vicious violence. Before they settle upon a weapon, however, these eager crusaders should make use of the advantage that time has freely given them: the opportunity to look back at the battles of their predecessors and learn what weapon proved most effective …show more content…
In its attempt to get in close with the evil elements of society, it inevitably lends them support. This truth has been recognized since at least the year of 1849, when Henry David Thoreau commented in his work, Civil Disobedience, that “Those who, while they disapprove of the character and measures of a government, yield to it their allegiance and support are undoubtedly its most conscientious supporters”. This truth has been confirmed since at least 1895, when the accommodationist Booker T. Washington gave a speech in Atlanta that reinforced everything the oppressive white society at that time preached. In its attempt to deceive society, accomodation deceives itself. It tricks itself into thinking that it can avoid immorality while simultaneously remaining part of an immoral society. That is not possible, however, and it is therefore, as Thoreau said all those years ago, every man’s duty to “wash his hands of [society], and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his