Civil Disobedience written by Henry David Thoreau is an essay that was first published in 1849. While Henry David Thoreau was considered a transcendentalist, his work of writings encompasses social sciences, political science, civil rights, and humanities. In Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Henry David Thoreau's motivation to pen the Civil Disobedience essay was in part due to his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War. As noted, Civil Disobedience is studied in social sciences, political science, civil rights, and humanities, yet while only an essay, Civil Disobedience is often textbook required reading. This volume also contains four additional popular essays by Henry David Thoreau which are: Life Without Principle, Slavery In Massachusetts, A Plea for Captain John Brown, and Walking.
