Thoreau begins his essay by supporting the motto "that government is best which governs least" (177), which implies the reduction of governmental interference in daily affairs by reducing the capacity of the government to tax for unpopular causes. . A typical example is the poll tax – a "per capita" tax imposed on all citizens to help support what Thoreau saw as an unjust war against Mexico, which would extend slavery to new American territories, organized by a small elite of people who manipulated the government for their benefit against the popular will (177). Furthermore, Thoreau argues that government rarely proves useful and that it derives its authority from the majority because the majority is physically the strongest group, not because it has the most legitimate point of view. He continues that the prior obligation of the individual is to do what he believes to be right and not to obey the law dictated by the majority. It can be suggested that when a government is unjust, people should refuse to obey the law and disassociate themselves from government in general. This implies that a person is not obligated to devote their life to eradicating the evils of the world, but they must not participate in such evils, which could mean not being a member of an unjust institution such as the government . However, at the same time, disassociating oneself from society and ultimately being responsible to oneself might not be the most appropriate approach, especially in today's interconnected world. Additionally, it should be noted that there is a strong sense of individualism and skepticism toward government throughout Thoreau's work. It can be argued that Thoreau is deeply skeptical of government because he disdains the idea that an individual... middle of paper... would not make the world worse. To return to the original question, it would seem that a man has a duty to act according to the dictates of his conscience, even if it goes against majority opinion or the laws of society. In cases where the state supports unjust or immoral laws, Thoreau's notion of service to one's country paradoxically transforms into a form of resistance against that country. Resistance is the highest form of patriotism because it illustrates a desire not to tear down the government but to build a better one over the long term. Thus, Thoreau does not advocate a total rejection of administration, but a resistance to its specificities considered unjust or immoral. Although Thoreau's ideas were not very influential in the 19th century, they helped inspire the theories of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luthor King on nonviolent resistance...