On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

"I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward." H.D Thoreau



In this famous text, Henry David Thoreau does not define himself as an anarchist. Thus, he writes, "unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government". But at the same time, Thoreau is often cited as being an anarchist. Indeed, it must be said that there are many points in common between Thoreau's thought and that of Malatesta, an intellectual figure of the libertarian movement. We find, for example, the rejection of the tyranny of the majority, the duty to resist unjust laws, and the denunciation of state violence.



Contents :

H.D Thoreau : On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

E. Malatesta : Anarchy