Showing results by author "Henry Thoreau" in All Categories

In 1849, Henry David Thoreau argued in his essay “Civil Disobedience” that people should not allow governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have the right to avoid such submission to permit the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was partly motivated by his abhorrence with slavery and the Mexican-American War. His work has inspired great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Martin Buber.

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Here is Henry David Thoreau’s classic work of personal experimentation and nonconformist living, Walden, presented in a special condensation with a new introduction by PEN Award-winning historian Mitch Horowitz.

An experiment. A declaration. A spiritual awakening. Noted transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau spent two years, two months, and two days chronicling his near-isolation in a small cabin he built in the woods near Walden Pond, on land owned by his mentor and the father of Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Immersing himself in nature and solitude, Thoreau sought to develop a greater understanding of society amidst a life of self-reliance and simplicity. Originally published in 1854, Walden remains one of the most celebrated works in American literature.

"In wilderness is the preservation of the world. Life consists with wilderness. The most alive is the wildest. Not yet subdued to man, its presence refreshes him." Philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau preferred to contemplate the nature of man and his environment while walking.

A masterpiece of American individualism, Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience is considered by many to be one of the most important pieces of political and philosophical writings ever produced by an American. Thoreau wrote the essay because of his opposition to slavery and the Mexican-American War. When the government engages in actions that are unjust, he believed that citizens should completely withdraw their support of the government and stop paying taxes, even if it results in imprisonment or violence.

This collection contains Book One: Our National Parks, Book Two: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, and Book Three: Walden.

Very similar in style to Walden, and in fact written while he stayed at Walden Pond, this account chronicles Throeau's 1830 boat trip. In it, he weaves together travel writing, essays on religion, history, and lyrical poetry, as well as his own unique philosophy.

Walking was first published in the June 1862 issue of Atlantic Monthly. In this treatise, Thoreau reminds us of how the primal act of walking connects us with nature. He argues that the genius of walking does not lie in mechanically putting one foot in front of the other toward to a destination, but in mastering the art of sauntering. The themes of Walking include freedom, self-reflection, and exploration. Thoreau states that the act of walking marks the human being as an inhabitant, or part and parcel of nature, rather than a member of society.

Walden is an account of the time Thoreau lived alone in a cabin in Concord, Massachusetts. He built the cabin, grew and sold vegetables, and contemplated consciousness and identity. The theme is simple - it focuses on living in natural surroundings, and in essence, the work may be seen as a declaration of independence, a social experiment, quest of spiritual discovery, and a self-reliance guide. The text contains scientific observations of nature along with metaphorical and poetic applications of natural phenomena.

Henry David Thoreau discusses walking, the importance of nature, and the human need for walking in the wilderness.

In 1845, after years of literary and emotional struggle, friend and colleague Ralph Waldo Emerson invited Thoreau to build a cabin on his land near Walden Pond, the location of which became Thoreau's inspiration. Walden records the doctrines of transcendentalism that he lived, supported, and for which he became famous. He focuses on the concept of self-knowledge and encourages all people to find some way to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Thoreau is remembered as a major American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher.

An Excursion to Canada is a remarkable work by Thoreau, very different from his other works. Here he becomes an American traveler who shows far greater respect for America than Canada, while explaining the details of the chasm between the Church (Black) and the soldiers (Red) in Quebec that Stendhal pointed out in The Red and the Black in France. Something like DeTocqueville's Democracy in America, but here Canada is the country under the microscope.

Der Klassiker über das Aussteigerleben und ein radikales Selbstexperiment in der Natur: Der 28-jährige Henry D. Thoreau zog sich 1845 an den Walden-See in eine einsame Waldregion Massachusetts in eine selbstgebaute Blockhütte zurück, um zwei Jahre lang ein Leben fernab der industrialisierten Zivilisation zu leben. Bis heute ist dieses sprachlich versierte Buch, das auf Thoreaus Tagebucheinträgen basiert, für alle interessant, die einen alternativen Lebensstil erstreben.

I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.

"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" (1848) is an essay from a speech by Henry David Thoreau, a lifelong abolitionist. The slavery crisis inflamed New England in the 1840s-1850s. The speech dealt with slavery, but at the same time criticized American imperialism, particularly the Mexican-American War. Thoreau asserts that because governments are typically more harmful than helpful, they therefore cannot be justified. Democracy is no cure for this, as majorities simply by virtue of being majorities do not also gain the virtues of wisdom and justice.

梭罗在瓦尔登湖畔度过两年又两个月与大自然水乳交融的隐居生活，在这里搭建木屋、开荒种地、写作看书……梭羅在瓦爾登湖畔度過兩年又兩個月與大自然水乳交融的隱居生活，在這裡搭建木屋、開荒種地、寫作看書……

Thoreau’s famous reflections on simple living in natural surroundings. Walden details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years in a cabin he built near Walden Pond. This collection also includes one of Thoreau’s most famous essays.

Desde la monarquía hasta la república, los hombres siempre se han sentido inconformes por la tergiversación de los principios de gobierno desde quienes están en el poder. Sin embargo, desde la institucionalización de la democracia, muchos han creído que esta se puede instaurar como un modelo incuestionable.

Walden or, "Life in the Woods", is, primarily, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. Henry David Thoreau kept a journal during his stay in a cabin beside Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, for two years, two months, and two days, from July 1845 to Sept 1847. The book is based on that journal.

Was macht den Menschen aus? Wie wurde er, was er ist? Welche großen Denker haben unsere Entwicklung beeinflusst? Unsere Box vereint Grundlagentexte der philosophischen Theorie über die Jahrtausende – und den ganzen Erdkreis.