Civil Disobedience - Modern English Edition

A modern-English edition of Henry David Thoreau’s classic essay on the moral duty to resist unjust laws. Written after his refusal to pay poll tax in protest of slavery and the Mexican-American War, this short work became one of the most influential texts of nonviolent political resistance. This edition renders it into clear contemporary English while preserving its direct force.

Civil Disobedience argues that conscience outranks compliance, that citizens bear responsibility for the acts of their government, and that refusal can be both a moral and practical lever of change.

This edition is offered as an accessible entry point into one of the key texts of liberty and peaceful resistance.