On Civil Disobedience

The book presents two influential essays on civil disobedience from Henry David Thoreau and Hannah Arendt, exploring the responsibilities of citizenship and moral conscience. Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government" details his imprisonment for refusing to pay poll taxes, advocating for individual conscience as a political force. In contrast, Arendt's "Civil Disobedience" critiques Thoreau, emphasizing the importance of collective action and societal promises for enacting meaningful change. An introduction by Roger Berkowitz contextualizes their arguments within the tradition of civil disobedience and contemporary politics.