thoreau

I think that, within the context of his era, some of his arguments make sense. Even today many people revere his thoughts about nature and self-reliance. Civil disobedience, however, comes at a price to both the individual rebelling and the wider community. We have laws and government for reasons central to a functioning society. Not everyone can move into the woods and chop wood all day. Children need to go to school, the elderly need care, and society has to function. Not paying takes destroys the fabric that makes our society "civil".