Vocabulary in Civil Disobedience

Controls or interferes with people's lives as little as possible; the phrase captures the belief that a government with minimal power and reach is the most desirable kind.

Lived out in practice; to actually follow a principle in real behavior rather than just stating it as an ideal.

In a thorough, organized, and consistent way, following a clear plan or method rather than acting randomly or occasionally.

Permanent, professional military forces kept by a government at all times, even during peace, as opposed to temporary militias raised only in emergencies.

Convenient and practical for achieving a goal in the short term, but not necessarily honest or morally right; driven by self-interest rather than principle.

A person's inner sense of what is morally right or wrong, which Thoreau treats as a higher authority than any law or government decree.

A duty or moral requirement that binds a person to a certain course of action; here, the only true duty Thoreau acknowledges is to his own conscience.

To take on or accept a responsibility or duty as one's own; used here in the sense of voluntarily taking upon oneself an obligation.

A fixed fee charged to each individual citizen as a condition of living in or being recognized by the state; Thoreau refused to pay his as a protest against slavery and war.

A deliberate refusal to obey a rule, law, or authority; the act of withholding cooperation from a government or institution one considers unjust.

In a way that is unfair, morally wrong, or without legitimate cause; used to describe imprisonment or treatment that violates a person's rights.

Here, a person's capacity for moral and intellectual judgment — their reasoning mind and conscience — as distinct from their physical body.

Intelligence, cleverness, or mental sharpness; Thoreau uses it to argue that the state relies on brute force rather than superior reasoning or moral insight.

Fellow residents of the same town; neighbors and community members who share the same local civic life as the speaker.

To grab at or handle someone intrusively and without their consent; used here to suggest that society forces its rules on individuals in an unwelcome, grasping way.

To force or compel someone to do something against their will; to restrict a person's freedom by applying pressure or coercion.

Established laws, customs, and organizations through which a society governs itself; Thoreau uses the word with contempt, viewing them as tools of conformity and injustice.

The power to judge right from wrong that comes from a person's own conscience and integrity, not from any official position or legal title.

People who make laws as part of a government body; Thoreau contrasts them with those who serve the state with conscience, ranking them as less admirable.

People who work to change unjust laws or social conditions; Thoreau reserves this title for those who act from conscience rather than from political calculation.

The act of casting a ballot to choose leaders or policies; Thoreau dismisses it as a weak, ineffective gesture that lets people feel they have acted without truly resisting injustice.

Guided firmly by moral beliefs rather than by convenience, self-interest, or what the law demands; acting from conscience even at personal cost.

Reached full development or maturity; used metaphorically to describe individuals who have grown into their full moral and intellectual independence.

Allowed or permitted something to happen; an older usage meaning to let something occur without preventing it, not to experience pain.

Worthy of great admiration and honor; used here to describe an ideal future state that fully respects individual freedom and conscience.

To be in a position — politically and morally secure enough — to treat all people fairly without fear that doing so will undermine the state's own power.