Henry David Throeau’s continuous life theme was his struggle to survive in the world without selling out like he felt most of society had already done. From Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government and Slavery in Massachusetts, I selected six principles that, taken as a whole, create a guide to life for someone who values the self and personal conscience above the group and collective rules. Principle One: It is better to discern right from wrong, just from unjust, byconscience than by simply following man-made laws.Principle Two: Once truth has been discerned, fight for what is believed to be morally right, even if it involves self-sacrifice.Principle Three: There is no shame in being poor since virtue is not found in the accumulation of monetary wealth. Principle Four: Self-respect is attained when personal opinion is formed based on conscience rather than external influence. Principle Five: Look to a higher source than mankind for morality.Principle Six: Actions reveal true character. These six principles provide a revolutionary instruction manual for living and express expectations for humanity that are much higher than those expectations expressed by the government through the enactment of laws. This is not surprising since Thoreau was a transcendentalist. With this philosophical school of thought as his guide, he endeavored to live a life that transcended the law and looked to a higher substantial truth. His writing abounds with the transcendental principles of self-reliance, personal integrity andspontaneous intuition. A person who values the self above the group would rather choose the way they want to live rather than to live a life spent accepting the rules of society. All six principles outlined in this essay are choices, personal choices, driven by a conscience awareness of a truth higher than law and at times in direct moral conflict with the law. Additionally, when used as a guide, these principles...
