Thought Engaged With the World
Learning is a continuous process. Each day we learn something new, and each time you reread a certain source, you realize you have discovered something new in that source that you might have missed. Some other times, you rethink or change the way you had perceived the ideas in the book from the first reading.
Writing this term paper was not any different. When first asked to write a term paper on civil disobedience, it seemed a very hard task to complete in this limited time. I thought one required the philosophical mind to complete the task and one needed to research many ideas and use them. After the first research in the library and I decided on the source of reference to consider most, the task started getting easy. Upon rereading my source, the task became easy and manageable.
Writing a term paper on civil disobedience has been a trigger to my thinking. It might have changed and challenged my thinking. All this time, I have not thought activism was a great contribution to the revolution. From Thoreau, It was easy to understand the power that citizens have over the government. With each inner voice spoken and people acting in their conscience, we could be able to have a stable government, which rules least, where much power is on citizens and our ideas could be put into consideration.
Throughout this period, I have realized, we all have a different perspective on what world we want but all our ideas almost came into harmony. I realized if we came together with liberal minds, we could be able to able formulate a better idea of Utopia we want where each and everyone’s ideas are considered. We might have a broad mindset, but we had the same goal of having a peaceful world where all events acted in harmony, where we had liberty, right to live and everyone pursue his/her happiness without negatively affecting the other.
Having the government that rules least in place, it will be a trigger to everyone to realize that it is upon themselves to find their happiness without doing wrong to the other. Since we have different ideas, and our ideas can contradict others, we may wrong others. When we wrong others, the government, which we have chosen to make it rule the least, will come in, solve these conflicts, and maybe set some new bills to help avoid such occurrences again.
It is easy to realize through this term paper, laws are so important in any community. These laws were initially meant to protect the citizens and help them live a better life. Some of these laws might have not been in favor of citizens that is why they were subjected to change. This change was to be achieved by continuously changing or coming up with the bills to correct them. It is clear that some bills contradicted each other, and required correction too for there to be harmony in the ruling. These changes were to be suggested by the citizens. Unfortunately, those in power wanted to benefit themselves and citizens had to go the harder way by protesting for them to be granted their rights. From Thoreau’s’ experience those silent citizens were supporting the injustice on them as they had the power to persuade the government to listen to their grievances.
The Civil Disobedience source text had a broad idea where one needed to be so liberal to understand all ideas from different people. One needed an independent mind to draw his/her conclusions. The writing process was the best. Writing a term paper in steps helped in coming up with some rhetorical questions, which, by answering them, they made the term paper engaging and helped in doing more research. The source text was detailed. One needed to read it more than once to comprehend ideas in it. Whenever I went through the source text, I realized to have missed many ideas. I could realize the other answered contradicting ideas and some of my questions from one author.
While writing my work, it made me realize how relaxed I am and making less effort towards achieving Utopia. It was easy to notice that each revolutionary and author was opposing the government at some point proving that not all were good in the laws. These laws can be amended. The most effective way to make the government listen was by citizens uniting and protesting against injustice. Also, for one to protest, he/she needs to know what she expected from the government. If we came together, we could revolutionize the world and have a government that we will love and support. Despite my support for the government that rules the least, the idea was far from being fulfilled since fewer people were ready to take that risk to achieve our independence.
Writing the next research paper, I will like to use the same process used to write the Civil Disobedience term paper, have broad research, sample my ideas by having those that support and oppose my subject of study to avoid repletion.
To sum up, it would be better if we all realized that we had different opinions which required us to come together to discuss them than opposing each other. We all had an instinct to pursue happiness. If we promoted unity, we could do and achieve more. When dealing with ideological circumstances, one needed to be liberal and question his idea independently without influence from others. We all need to accept our differences. Always learn to talk in one voice. If you feel oppressed, protest for your right without asking or considering other people’s opinions.