Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience  By  cover art

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

By: Henry David Thoreau
Narrated by: Jim Killavey
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $2.07

Buy for $2.07

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This essay by Thoreau first published in 1849, argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule their consciences. It goes on to say that individuals have a duty to avoid allowing the government to make them the agents of injustice. The quote: "That government is best which governs least," sometimes attributed to Thomas Jefferson or Thomas Paine, actually was first found in this essay. Thoreaus' thoughts were motivated by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War but they are still relevant and resonate today.

Public Domain (P)2011 Jimcin Recordings
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    266
  • 4 Stars
    138
  • 3 Stars
    77
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    193
  • 4 Stars
    98
  • 3 Stars
    93
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    19
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    244
  • 4 Stars
    95
  • 3 Stars
    59
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Responsibility

Enjoyed the text. Good to hear another person's perspective. Very good reader. Would recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very fine representation of a classic

Philosophical essay read with accurate reserved detail and necessary factual summation of the author and his stances on the justice of societal morality and how it developed in relation to the individual consequence

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

monotone

this was read as tho it was required speaking to a class room full of scollors that already knew the text. No inflection or passion expressed. The words were inspiring but the speaker bored me to distraction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

10:22 p.m., 10th of January, 2018

Timely and timeless. As Henry David explained, as Mahatima Ghandi adopted and proved out, as Reverend King brought it home: all who persist, will prevail! As we must do now too against considerable odds against our complacent, overindulged consumptive stupor and act too restore our democracy for ourselves and for our children - or not at all, forever.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Can the thoughts of 1849 be applied in the 21st-century?

Henry David Thoreau gave us a lot to think about how we ought to organize our lives. You can listen to this audible book in about an hour. It is one of the most quoted essays by the war tax resistance movement.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent short essay

I love how audible has individual, short essays by Thoreau and others available for quick powerful reads.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

interesting and applicable to our time.

The old English of Mass, aside very well spoken. No Surprise He is one of our most revered American wright's

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Short, a couple solid ideas, impractical though

Some interesting takes. Don’t know a ton about him though. Likely would have to read Walden to understand more. I think his ideas are noble, but not practical unless we live in some sort of crypto utopia lol. Unless we have a way to trust each other I don’t see how it’d work. But there’s a lot of good things to take away, namely the notion of civil disobedience and peacefully protesting the government. Ideally making a government that was more aware of its place in society, namely subservient to the people, dominant over the people.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

The goverment sucks and fuck taxes lmao author does a great job and the essay is an interesting and well written piece.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Henry is the original BADASS!

Everyone should read or listen to Henry's words! His words ring true over 100 years later!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!