Walden, Walking & Civil Disobedience (eBook)

Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American essayist, poet, and philosopher, known prominently for his transcendentalist beliefs and his reflections on simple living in natural surroundings. His seminal work, 'Walden; or, Life in the Woods' (1854), is a personal account of his time spent in a cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts, where he sought to distill life to its essential truths through a blend of solitude, communion with nature, and philosophical musings. This work is recognized for its rich detail, appreciation for the environment, and its critique of consumerism and the busy pace of modern life. Similarly, in his lecture-turned-essay 'Walking' (1862), Thoreau presents the concept of 'wildness' and the importance of nature for the human spirit, advocating for the preservation of the wilderness for public use. His essay 'Civil Disobedience' (1849), born out of his brief imprisonment for refusal to pay a tax as protest against slavery and the Mexican-American War, famously argues for individual conscience over legislative law, influencing later civil rights and social justice advocates. Thoreau's literary style combines natural history with philosophy, creating a substantial impact on both environmental thought and social conscience. His writing often exhibits a clear, direct prose that reflects his transcendental beliefs about the supremacy of individual intuition over established doctrine.