Role+of+Individual+in+Confronting+Justice

__Confronting Injustice__

Throughout Civil Disobedience Thoreau confronts injustices in his own life. While protesting against slavery Thoreau decides to not pay his taxes and is put in jail for one night. This shows how he is willing to change his own life for the improvement of justice in the American government. Thoreau states "That government is best which governs least" he then goes on to say how he would like to see this being used in more governments across the world. Thoreau asks for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Thoreau confronts the injustice in the government power over the people throughout civil disobedience. "But a government in which the majority rules in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it." He states that a government that rules by the majority should not govern anyone. Thoreau also states that when a government is unjust people should refuse to follow the laws and separate themselves from the unjust government. "When the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest." This shows how Thoreau is overpowered by the governments just because they have the masses.