Henry David Thoreau Quotes About Responsibility

• The chief want, in every state that I have been into, was a high and earnest purpose in its inhabitants.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Responsibility, Purpose, Want

  Henry David Thoreau (2014). “Citizen Thoreau: Walden, Civil Disobedience, Life Without Principle, Slavery in Massachusetts, A Plea for Captain John Brown”, p.225, Graphic Arts Books

• I would remind my countrymen, that they are to be men first, and Americans only at a late and convenient hour. No matter how valuable law may be to protect your property, even to keep soul and body together, if it do not keep you and humanity together.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Responsibility, Men, Soul And Body

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.1151, Delphi Classics

• What is wanted is men of principle, who recognize a higher law than the decision of the majority. The marines and the militia whose bodies were used lately were not men of sense nor of principle; in a high moral sense they were not men at all.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Responsibility, Marine, Men

  Henry David Thoreau, David Gross (2007). “The Price of Freedom: Political Philosophy from Thoreau's Journals”, p.129, David M Gross

• For a man to act himself, he must be perfectly free; otherwise he is in danger of losing all sense of responsibility or of self- respect.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Freedom, Integrity, Responsibility

  Henry David Thoreau (1894). “The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: With Bibliographical Introductions and Full Indexes”

• I am not responsible for the successful working of the machinery of society.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Responsibility, Successful, Independence

  Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.83, Penguin

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