Political Responsibility and Resistance to Civil Government

Abstract

This paper has two aims. One is to gain a clearer view of Thoreau’s ideas about political responsibility, especially what I shall call individual accountability, or the duty to address political wrongs; for I believe that the common understanding of Thoreau’s position is inaccurate. Another aim is to suggest and to encourage discussion of a broader conception of political responsibility – a conception capable of supporting a duty of disobedience in view of social wrongs.