Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862 Leo R. Sandy

Thoreau cont’d Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian

Thoreau cont’d He lived for two years, two months, and two days by Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. His time in Walden Woods became a model of deliberate and ethical living. His words and deeds continue to inspire millions around the world who seek solutions to critical environmental and societal challenges.

Thoreau cont’d He was put in jail for refusing to pay his taxes based on his opposition to the Mexican War. His friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, paid his fine (which Thoreau was not pleased with) When asked by Emerson why he was in jail, he in turn, asked, “why are you not?” He claimed to be freer in jail than people who were not in jail His collected works fills twenty volumes (two million words)

Thoreau cont’d His writings influenced Gandhi’s work in India, Tolstoy’s philosophy in Russia, and King’s civil rights actions in the United States His famous essay, Civil Disobedience is used throughout the world by people seeking to escape oppression After graduating from Harvard he took a teaching position in Concord but quit when ordered to use corporal punishment on a student (this reflects the belief that bad rules, policies, laws should be disobeyed but good ones followed. Conscience decides what is good and bad)

Thoreau’s Beliefs A person’s duty is to resist injustice wherever it is found Understanding life on earth is through understanding of the natural world around us The highest authority for people should be their conscience He liked all the religions of the world but did not approve of religion when it resorted to bigotry and ignorance He was strongly against corporal punishment of children He believed in evolution and generally trusted science

Beliefs cont’d He avoided the argument about big vs small government, and instead favored good government He “openly questioned the norms of society and stood up for a life of peace and simplicity” (Beller et al, 2008) He believed that people were to engrossed with their jobs that they really didn’t live life well –”the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”

Thoreau Quotes Be true to your work, your word, and your friend. It’s never too late to give up your prejudices Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is in prison. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something. Goodness is the only investment that never fails. What people say you cannot do, you try and find that you can.

Quotes cont’d Whosever would be a man must be a nonconformist It is never too late to give up our prejudices There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Life the life you have imagined Never look back unless you are planning to go that way Be true to your work, your word, and your friend Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth What people say you cannot do, you try and find that you can Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something

Video Thoreau’s Simple Life at Walden

Resources Henry David Thoreau: https://www.walden.org/Thoreau/ The Quotations Page: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2526.html

Resources cont’d Beller, K., & Chase, H. (2008). Great Peacemakers: True stories from around the world. Sedona, AZ: LTS Press