Friday, September 6, 2019
Stagnant Democracy Essay Example for Free
Stagnant Democracy Essay Democracy, whether in its early or current state, needs constant improvement even if it is a government system that is highly respectful of its constituents.            Henry David Thoreau lived at a time when democracy was finally being recognized as oppressive in itself because the governing system was becoming stagnant. The laws that citizens had to abide to were being criticized because of the injustice its system was already imposing on other races like Mexicans and Negroes. Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson have simply seen that the legal system has become inefficient if not a means for oppression because of its taxes and treatment of others.            Society needs persons like Thoreau and Emerson because they are people who are able to see and declare the evils of society. Only when declarations such as those made by them are given attention can any government or system improve. It is upon reflection of their ideas when true great men can enact changes that would be able to improve an always imperfect society.            Both Thoreau and Emerson, even if they can be deemed as rebellious, do represent the traditional Western or American values because what they espoused in their writings were still democratic.            Thoreau, although he hints on individualism and disadvantages of the political system in his suggestions for civil disobedience, is merely applying his very rational beliefs and principles. He is merely promoting a different concept that will be actually for the good of his community. His suggestion for a non-violent revolution is democratic in itself because it is peaceful. Thoreau believes that every man has the power to enact change in his society even if he is not part of a majority. He says that a vote may be an act of one to show his agreement or dissent on certain issues but this is not enough to really change what is wrong in society. He sees the exercise of voting as not enough. To be true to one’s self would be to express fully what one is against to†¦ such as the way he has been stubborn (and consequently punished) in his non-payment of certain taxes. He believes in the government because it can organize communities peacefully but insists that a political body can only be truly successful if it respects the individual. In this way, he is actually espousing the very basic principle of democracy.            He may seem rebellious when he attacks the government for imposing the taxes for Christianity but the basic formulations of his principles are very Christian. He believes that he is able to give back his spiritual obligations in other ways which are more useful to society. His writings are testimony of his own contribution to the community he belongs to. He insists that taxes are merely oppressive when people blindly pay it while they can share their skills and talents in other forms that will serve the community just as well.            Emerson is also representative of the liberal American or Western values because he is able to find the freedom of speech to attack the problems of the society. The theme of self-reliance is not selfish but civic because it upholds the dignity of an individual which in turn can contribute better to society. He believes that the society during his time is already in need of a wake up call because of its reliance on conformity and consistency. He saw that men were becoming cowards to express what is fair and just because of the need to adapt to the opinions of other who are simply obeying the laws blindly. He sees that most people are already trapped into making very wrong decisions because of the fear that people will attack their views and actions because of what they had done in the past. According to Emerson, people who are not able to rely on their instincts with regard to what is right and wrong because they are always concerned on how society will react to them become prisoners of their cowardice.            Emerson may seem like a heretic when he attacks the hypocritical expression of faith many Church leaders were making but his views are basically Christ-centered. His idea that the Church has become overbearing because of its strict adherence to religious laws is true. Morality, for Emerson, is to look inside one’s self and find the truth and what is ultimately good for the individual and the others who surround him. He believes that God provided each and every one of us with the instinct to know what is correct or wrong and that too much reliance on Church teachings can lead one to further mistakes simply for the sake of conformity.            Thomas and Emerson are highly for democracy and God but the way they have expressed themselves can seem rebellious to those who insist in following unjust laws. As Martin Luther King Jr. has expressed in his own writings, laws that disregard the higher morals it supposedly adheres to are ineffective and disobedience to these is simply necessary. In fact, King is correct in establishing that disobedience is actually democratic and spiritual.            Democracy may have established laws that protect the security of many but it is still imperfect. Individuals like Thoreau and Emerson are truly important to help this political system improve and correct itself.
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