Civil-Disobedience《论公民的不服从》读后感

ThereviewofCivilDisobedienceHenryDavidThoreauisrecognizedasanessayist,apoet,anaturalist,aphilosopherandmostimportantlyatranscendentalist.Hismasterpiece,Walden,istheembodimentofhisbeliefwhichadvocatesfeelingsratherthansensesandpromotesindividualism.ThereisalsoanotheronerevealsthebasicprincipleofThoreau,thatistheCivilDisobedience.InJuly,1846,Thoreauwasputintojailsinceherefusedtopayapoll-taxof$2.00toagovernmenthethoughtunjust.Thoughthiseventwasinsignificantenough,itinspiredThoreautowritehisfamousessay,“CivilDisobedience”whichadvocatingpassiveresistancetounjustlawsofsociety,influencedpeoplesuchasMahatmaGandhi.ThroughGandhi,Thoreau’stheoryhasbecomeagreattoolinpoliticalactivities.Inordertobetterunderstandthisessay,theprerequisiteistoknowoneconcept—thecivildisobedience.Iscivildisobediencethesameastherightagainstthelaw?Whatisthedifferencebetweenthem?Afterreadingthebook,I’vegotanideathatinsomesensetheyarealike.Butcivildisobedienceshouldbedescribedastheresistanceagainstunjustlawsbasedonconscience.Thecivildisobedienceisamoralright,whiletherightagainstthelawisoneofthebasichumanrights.Thoreaustressesontheindividual’seffect,sothecivildisobedienceisveryimportant.“Actionfromprinciple,theperceptionandtheperformanceofright,changesthingsandrelations;itisessentiallyrevolutionary,anddoesnotconsistwhollywithanythingwhichwas.”Soevenonepersonwhofightsagainsttheunjustlawisinminority,hisactionmaystillhaveagreatmeaning.Inconcerningofthecivildisobedience,Socratescomesintomymind.ContrarytoThoreau,whoadvocatestheresistanceagainsttheunjustlaws,heprovedbyhisownactionthateventhelawisunjust,weshouldalsoobeyit.IncomparisonwithThoreau,Socratesgivesusanegativeexample.ThereasonforsuchanactionwasalsorevealedbyThoreauinCivilDisobedience.“Unjustlawsexist:shallwebecontenttoobeythem,orshallweendeavortoamendthem,andobeythemuntilwehavesucceeded,orshallwetransgressthematonce?Men,generallythinkthattheyoughttowaituntiltheyhavepersuadedthemajoritytoalterthem.Theythinkthat,iftheyshouldresist,theremedywouldbeworsethantheevil.Butitisthefaultofthegovernmentitselfthattheremedyisworsethantheevil.Itmakesitworse.”Sogenerallyspeaking,thecivildisobedienceisessentialinourlives.Themaintopicinthisessayistherelationsbetweenpeopleandgovernment.AccordingtoThoreau,theindividualisahigherandindependentpowerthanthegovernmentandthelaw.Theauthorityofgovernmentisnotabsolute;itmusthavethesanctionandconsentofthegoverned.Justashepointedoutthat,“Ithinkthatweshouldbemenfirst,andsubjectsafterward.”WhydidThoreaucomeupwithsuchanidea?Therearetworeasons.First,thegovernmentisnotworthyoftrust.Heconsidereditasthemodewhichthepeoplehavechosentoexecutetheirwill,atbestbutanexpedient.Butinfact,manygovernments,includingtheAmericangovernment,aresometimesinexpedient.Insteadtheyhavebecomethetoolsforafewindividuals.“Underagovernmentwhichimprisonsunjustly,thetrueplaceforajustmanisalsoaprison.”Second,thegovernmenthasnotthevitalityandforceofasinglelivingman,whatitdoeshaveisjustamightypower.Sothegovernmentisliabletobeabusedandpervertedbeforethepeoplecanactthroughit.Morepoignantisthat,thegovernmentneverfurtheredanyenterprise,butbythealacritywithwhichitgotoutofitsway.Thecharacterinherentinthepeoplehasdoneallthathasbeenaccomplished;anditwouldhavedonesomewhatmore,ifthegovernmenthadnotsometimesgotinitsway.Thuswecanseetheauthorityofthegovernmentisnotabsolute,theindividualishigherthanit.Soisthegovernmentadispensableorganization?But,accordingtoThoreau,unlikethosewhocallthemselvesno-governmentmen,heaskedfor,notatoncenogovernment,butatonceabettergovernment.SowhatkindofthegovernmentisthebestinThoreau’sopinion?Wecanknowitfromthebeginningoftheessay,“Thegovernmentisbestwhichgovernsleast.”Inordertoachievethisperfectgovernment,therearetwoprinciplesweshouldkeepinmind.First,consciencemustbeplaceabovethelawmadebythemajority.Becausethelawmadebythemajorityisnotbasedonjustice,insteaditisbasedonthepowerofthemajority.Theonlyobligationwhichwehavearighttoassumeistodoatanytimewhatwethinkright.Inthisway,wecankeepabalancebetweenthejusticeandthelaw.Second,thegovernmentshouldensurepeople’srightofcivildisobedience.Thisisnottosay,thegovernmentshouldtoleratethecrimes.Itmeansthegovernmentshouldallowpeopletodosomeadjustments.Peopleshouldtakeactivemeasurestochangethegovernmentinagoodway,ratherthanpassivelyadaptedtothechangesofthegovernment.Inshort,Thoreau’sideaisfocusedonthepointofindividual;hethoughtthattheindividualisthebasisofthecountry,notthegovernment.Theunjustlawsexist,becausethemajorityofthecountrymakeslawbythepowerinsteadoftheconscience.Sothecivildisobedienceisverycrucialinourdailylives.