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Correspondence
Emerson's Nature
Thoreau's Nature
Commodity
Role of Society and Civilization
Civil Disobedience
On Deck
From Civil Disobedience
Thoreau's Possible Effect On His Mentor.
Interestingly enough, Emerson appears to have changed his stance on personal morality's connection to happenings within the material world. Emerson's "Self Reliance" from 1841, when juxtaposed to Thoreau's 1849 "Civil Disobedience," shows a clear divide as noted above. Yet, Emerson is described by blog contributor Stephanie in So Many Books as advocating that one act out against the government due to its immoral actions. Stephanie considers this quote from his 1851 address, "Fugitive Slave Law"
An immoral law makes it a man’s duty to break it, at every hazard. For virtue is the very self of every man. It is therefore a principle of law that an immoral contract is void, and that an immoral statute is void. For, as laws do not make right, and are simply declaratory of a right which already existed, it is not to be presumed that they can so stultify themselves as to command injustice.
Here, Emerson is advocating the Thoreauvian approach to civil disobedience.
For Role of Society and Civilization
Transcendental Utopias,
Attempt at Brook Farm and the affects of Charles Fourier
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