Civil Disobedience

Thoreau justifies civil disobedience when the government is unjust and against conscience. He explains his claim through the Mexican War. Thoreau argues that the United States' invasion of Mexico is immoral and that Americans who support the government as soldiers or by paying taxes are complicit in that injustice. He would further say that a person should go to jail rather than be responsible for that invasion; he allowed himself to be imprisoned so he could stop that invasion. Thoreau would argue that while it would be perfectly moral to go to jail in this case, he is required to do so. As a human being, he may have other ends or goals that require him to be out of jail; it is not his job to promote the best world possible by any means. All that can be asked of a person is that he not dirty his own hands with injustice. Once this requirement is fulfilled, each individual should decide for himself what to do with his life. This distinction is rooted in Thoreau's belief that individuals should look inward for how they should live their lives, without the government's intervention.  A person's primary duty is to be true to himself--to act with integrity and to pursue personal moral goals, to stand for what they believe in with all their might.