Gabriel Dultra

Summary of
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience Parts I & II
Part I
Paragraph 1: In the first paragraph Thoreau expresses his feelings of how he feels that we
should not have a government to watch over us. He calls government best but an expedient
mocking governments throughout the world. He later speaks of the war against Mexico and how
we had to abuse our government and use it as a tool to be able to turn things into our tides.
Paragraph 2: In this paragraph Thoreau specifically analyzes how man can manipulate
government and how it, in turn, can manipulate man. He speaks on the US government and how
it is easily manipulated by a single man so he can use it to his advantage. It goes on to say how
governments it selves do not keep the country free.settle the west.educate (citizens). It
says that in every government, they must be manipulated for progress and success.
Paragraph 3: He restates in this paragraph that he does not ask for there to be no government,
but for instead for there to be a better government.
Paragraph 4: In this paragraph he explains how there could be improvement in the government.
His main point is to allow conscience a choice in government because we are all humans with a
conscience. He uses some powerful pathos to depict how soldiers are deployed and used by
congress without the slightest conscience for their lives in their work. He then follows this
paragraph with a poem describing how rushed the fate of war is, allowing men to die without the
slightest consideration for their lives in the midst of it.
Paragraph 5: This paragraph further pursues the analogy of soldiers. He calls the soldiers the
horses and dogs of the government. They are allowed no moral choice on part for their
country. Then he uses politicians who are held in great esteem throughout the country, and how
they accidentally do the work of the devil themselves, in making choices that seem good but
carry not conscience in the end of it. He then concludes with another poem, depicting the wise
man who knows not to fiddle with either aspect of life, and feels himself useless in times of need.
Paragraph 6 (Lines 83-101): He makes a series of statements analyzing the hierarchy of
governments. He further speaks of the soldier who gives his entire self to the government and is
appeared to be useless while a man who gives himself halfway (a politician) is appeared to be a
philanthropist and useful. He speaks on how a man who is a part of the US government can
never be fully pleased with this title. He says that people no longer take part in changing the
government as they see it is not an option no longer. He then states, at great length, that the
country is so overrun with different ideas and thoughts that it is the government itself that is
invading its homeland.
Paragraph 7: Concluding the first section of this essay, Thoreau goes on to analyze one of
Paleys works. He states that Paley never addressed issues that expediency was not involved,
where people did anything to ensure that justice was served. This remark is Thoreaus attempt to
show how government is in fact flawed.

Gabriel Dultra

Part II
Paragraph 8: In this paragraph Thoreau analyzes how the people in Massachusetts stand on
political issues. He speaks on how they dont wish to fight for a cause, and how they never care
about it truly. They simply care about how it will affect them and act on that, and even then,
they act on their thoughts half-heartedly.
Paragraph 9: Thoreau speaks of the voting system in the US. He reflects on the previous
paragraph and applies it to the issue of voting. He states that people no longer vote based off of
their conscience and moral values, they vote on how it will affect their lives. He says that
majority voting will always be flawed, for there will always be an individual unsatisfied. He
says that There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men. Saying how nothing truly
virtuous comes out of votes.
Paragraph 10: In this paragraph Thoreau addresses the conference occurring in Baltimore for
the voting of a new presidential candidate. He states how the vote of the individual should truly
be more important than the vote of several politicians, for it is better reflected the wants and
needs of the country, but in further analyzation he realizes that the current citizen does not fiddle
with government issues no longer, but rather deals with his own issues instead. This shift in
virtue shocks Thoreau and he speaks of how American has dwindled into an Odd Fellow-one
who may be known by the development of his organ of gregariousness, and a manifest lack of
intellect and cheerful self-reliance; whose first and chief concern. Is to see that the almshouses are in good repair.
Paragraph 11: Thoreau analyzes the irony of something he heard in the market. He speaks of a
townsman who is applauded for not serving in the march to Mexico and the battles for slavery
rights. He points out this irony because the people who are applauding are the citizens who
failed to express their opinions and rebuttals to the government in the first place, showing the
backwardness of the current government system amongst citizens.
Paragraph 12: Thoreau also analyzes peoples actions in regards to the US government. He
speaks on how people rather talk than act in the government. They write petitions to dissolve the
union but do not actually act and do it themselves. He speaks that the current man is out of touch
with government ideals.
Paragraph 13: He further speaks of how people are so easily satisfied with their actions. He
asks How can a man be satisfied to entertain an opinion merely, and enjoy it? speaking of how
men would dispute a governments act or ideals to others but will not act on against it themselves.
Paragraph 14: In this paragraph it directs all previous arguments to fault our current
government system and its inability to cherish the minority as well as the majority, concluding
the second part of his essay.