In his essay “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau argues that society functions most effectively when not ruled by an overly powerful monarch or by strong power. central government, but by the people, that is to say essentially autonomous peoples who do not necessarily need a government per se, but who are nevertheless able to call on it in times of crisis. Thoreau's estimate of the good will and intelligence of mankind goes far beyond this, and his theories of government are applicable only in small cases. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Thoreau categorically states that “the best government is that which governs the least”, he means that governments which do not do this are the superior forms. It is contradictory, in the sense that we cannot want a government that nevertheless governs the minimum. By maintaining a government with powers powerful enough to help in times of crisis, but which interferes very little with the people, we create a paradox. How is it possible to have a governing body strong enough to intervene when necessary, while still being trusted and expected not to intervene otherwise? In order to maintain this type of autonomous, uninvolved form of government, one must be part of an extremely small group of people, even less than 10. The overall level of diligence, intelligence, and self-determination within the population human being is extremely weak. In order to successfully employ a form of government that “is best and governs not at all,” one must have a population of people with similar interests and goals. In a small group of people, in which a common goal was a unifying factor, for example in an era where survival was the primary goal, the ideals proposed by Thoreau would be successful. When a people is united around a common cause, everyone will work hard to achieve that goal, and the title “civil disobedience” will not be obvious. Generally, crime, or disobedience, arises from complacency or lack of satisfaction of needs; When all the needs of the people are the main goal, in the minds of the people themselves who are working hard to achieve this goal, no one will need to break the common law established by the "government" of the people. Essentially, in the case of Thoreau's perfect government, the intervention clause, in which the government can be strong, centrally, in times of crisis, is not necessarily necessary. When crises arise, all members of society will seek to maintain the good reputation and capabilities of said government. All people will fight to maintain their way of life, and there is no need to exploit the convening capabilities of central government, they are currently inherent. If the government is composed of a collection of autonomous people, who seek the same objective from society and strive to propagate the realization of this objective; Thoreau’s “The Best Government”; then the strong central government that appears in times of crisis is only the natural response of people who have been disrespected. Humans are reactionary people and, if provoked, can react in extremely territorial, even predatory, ways. When their goals are threatened or their way of life appears to be collapsing, people lash out. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our editors now.