Civil Disobedience

Essay | Henry David Thoreau

“All voting is a sort of gaming” -Explain

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All voting is a sort of gaming -Explain with reference to the context Or Why does Thoreau think that voting is merely a sort of a gaming Aristotle called democracy a system of government for fools because all citizens votes are of equal value Following his tone Henry David Thoreau criticizes blind faith in democracy He believes moral truth cannot be decided by majority vote For him voting is not a duty of conscience but only a weak expression of opinion Meaning of the Statement Thoreau compares voting to gambling because both depend on chance He says that people vote for the right as players bet on luck He writes Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it A true man of conscience should act for truth not wait for others approval Majority Rule vs Moral Right In a democracy the majority often decides what becomes law But

Thoreau argues that numbers cannot define right and wrong He asks Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong but conscience For him moral justice must come from conscience not the crowd Passive Nature of Voting Voting provides citizens with a sense of duty without requiring real sacrifice Thoreau believes it changes nothing if people just choose sides He says That government is best which governs least This line means that personal action is more powerful than voting The right should win by action not by paper ballots In short Thoreau calls voting a sort of gaming because it is uncertain lazy and moral only in appearance He wants men to rise above politics and act with conscience in pursuit of truth and justice

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