Henry David Thoreau

I heartily accept the motto, -"That government is best which governs least;" and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe-"That government is best which governs not at all;" and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for, in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure.This American government, -what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity? It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his will. It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves; and, if ever they should use it in earnest as a real one against each other, it will surely split. But it is not the less necessary for this; for the people must have some complicated machinery or other, and hear its din, to satisfy that idea of government which they have. Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed on, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage. It is excellent, we must all allow; yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity 4with which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. Itdoes not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way. For government is an expedient, by which men would fain succeed in letting one another alone; and, as has been said, when it is most expedient, the governed are most let alone by it. Trade and commerce, if they were not made of India rubber, would never manage to bounce over obstacles which legislators are continually putting in their way; and, if one were to judge these men wholly by the effects of their actions, and not partly by their intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievous persons who put obstructions on the railroad

Henry David Thoreau's collection of essays and poetry, "Excursions," was released two years after his death. Thoreau's writings on nature, philosophy, and social concerns are spread throughout the book. The articles in "Excursions" are organized according to various subjects, such as "The Succession of Forest Trees," "A Trip to Wachusett," and "Natural History of Massachusetts." Thoreau utilizes his views of nature to explore further into philosophical issues including the way people interact with the natural world, what progress means, and the place of individuality in society. In "Excursions," Thoreau also includes a number of his poetry in addition to his writings. Several of these poems highlight the value of living a modest, thoughtful life as well as the beauty of nature. Thoreau stresses the value of living in balance with nature and developing a strong connection to it throughout the whole book. According to him, making this link may motivate people to strive towards a more fair and equal society as well as help them find meaning and purpose in their own lives. "Excursions" is, in general, a celebration of the natural environment and a plea for people to live more completely and purposefully every day.

Walden (first published in 1854 as Walden; or, Life in the Woods) is a book by American essayist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau. The book reflects upon simple living in natural surroundings. In the essay Civil Disobedience Thoreau argues for the morality of disobedience to an unjust state.

Thoreau ber den Aussteiger Thoreau: "Ich zog in den Wald, weil ich den Wunsch hatte, mit berlegung zu leben, dem eigentlichen, wirklichen Leben n her zu treten, zu sehen, ob ich nicht lernen konnte, was es zu lehren h tte, damit ich nicht, wenn es zum Sterben ginge, einsehen m sste, dass ich nicht gelebt hatte. Ich wollte nicht das leben, was nicht Leben war; das Leben ist so kostbar. Auch wollte ich keine Entsagung ben, au er es wurde unumg nglich notwendig. Ich wollte tief leben, alles Mark des Lebens aussaugen, so hart und spartanisch leben, dass alles, was nicht Leben war, in die Flucht geschlagen wurde." Gr ls-Klassiker (Edition Werke der Weltliteratur)

Thoreau ber den Aussteiger Thoreau: "Ich zog in den Wald, weil ich den Wunsch hatte, mit berlegung zu leben, dem eigentlichen, wirklichen Leben n her zu treten, zu sehen, ob ich nicht lernen konnte, was es zu lehren h tte, damit ich nicht, wenn es zum Sterben ginge, einsehen m sste, dass ich nicht gelebt hatte. Ich wollte nicht das leben, was nicht Leben war; das Leben ist so kostbar. Auch wollte ich keine Entsagung ben, au er es wurde unumg nglich notwendig. Ich wollte tief leben, alles Mark des Lebens aussaugen, so hart und spartanisch leben, dass alles, was nicht Leben war, in die Flucht geschlagen wurde." Gr ls-Klassiker (Edition Werke der Weltliteratur)

En 1845, Thoreau construy una peque a caba a junto al lago Walden. Su idea era procurarse sus propios recursos y vivir de la manera m s simple y pura posible, como un asceta, dedic ndose a escribir para ser un poeta de la naturaleza. En su caba a ten a tres sillas: "una para la soledad, otra para la amistad, y una tercera para la sociedad". Permaneci ah durante dos a os, que sirvieron de inspiraci n para su obra maestra, Walden, un canto a la libertad del hombre y la vida en los bosques. In 1845, Thoreau built a small cabin by Lake Walden. His idea was to procure his own resources and live in the simplest and purest way possible, as an ascetic, dedicating himself to writing to be a poet of nature. In his cabin he had three chairs: "one for loneliness, another for friendship, and a third for society." He stayed there for two years, which served as the inspiration for his masterpiece, Walden, a hymn to the freedom of man and life in the woods.