Scenario
2 – Pro-Thoreau:
As
students you have studied Thoreau’s life and times and his philosophy,
transcendentalism. You have
observed his idealism through his essay, “On Civil Disobedience”.
In the following exercise, your task is to reflect on Thoreau’s ideas
by discussing them with a fellow student. You
will be pro-Thoreau and your partner will be anti-Thoreau.
Pro-Thoreau
facts:
1.
Thoreau’s
philosophy of individual freedom and conscience was used to support the
abolitionist and anti-war campaigns of the time.
2.
His
solitary, self-sufficient life at Walden Pond became an American ideal of
individualism and self-sufficiency that is highly valued in American culture.
3.
Non-violent
civil disobedience proved successful later. Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
successfully used that form of protest. Ghandi
used it against England’s colonization of India, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
used it to secure civil rights for African Americans in the 1960s.
4. He
continuously worked through his writings and example (words and actions) to
demonstrate his beliefs.
Using
an instant message feature, dialogue
electronically with your partner.
After responding to your partner’s questions, each time, follow with a
question of your own.