Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau was a nineteenth-century philosopher and writer who denounced materialistic modes of living and encouraged people to act according to their own beliefs of right and wrong, even if doing so required breaking the law. Thoreau has left a lasting impression on society with his continual questioning of principles that were taken for granted. People like Chris McCandless have found themselves enlightened after being exposed to works like Walden and Civil Disobedience. Thoreau’s widespread influence is the outcome of his emphasis on simplicity, his advocacy of self reliance, and his persistent skepticism of authority (Thoreau “Walden”).

One of the most prevalent motifs in Thoreau’s works is the success of simplicity. Thoreau was born into a permanently poor family. After attaining a Harvard education, Thoreau could’ve easily descended into a 19th century equivalent of a “9 to 5 job”. Yet, Thoreau puzzled many as he took it outdoors, admiring the wilderness and engaging himself into poetry to merely support his substinence (www.answers.com). Thoreau genuinely felt that materialism didn’t bring about any happiness. He asserted that the more possessions one had, the more time he had to spend on maintaining them. Material wealth only adds worries to the life of a human. If someone had to choose between increasing their work time and decreasing their needs in order to thrive, Thoreau insists that one should cut down on their needs. More work takes away from one’s leisure, which is necessary for one to attain inner freedom (Thoreau “Walden”).

For one to attain salvation, he must rid himself of all the selfish materialism and lead a life of substinence rather than luxury. Thoreau identifies 4 necessities for life – food, shelter, clothing and fuel. These necessities, he claims, can be freely picked up in nature and do not need to be obtained by means of civilization. Moreover, he declares that an attempt at luxury serves as a...