Final answer:
Henry David Thoreau believed in individual freedom and nonviolent protest against unjust laws, inspiring figures such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. with his transcendental beliefs and works like "Civil Disobedience."
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on his transcendental beliefs and "Civil Disobedience," it is most reasonable to assume that Henry David Thoreau advocated for individual freedom and nonviolent protest against unjust laws and government actions. He was a proponent of self-reliance and living in accordance with personal morals, rather than conforming to societal norms or participating in government-led injustices such as slavery and warfare. His practice of civil disobedience included actions like refusing to pay taxes that funded these injustices, which he saw as a peaceful form of protest and a way to live his principles.
Thoreau influenced important figures like Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other leaders of nonviolent movements with his philosophy of passive resistance. His works "Civil Disobedience" and Walden became essential readings in understanding the power of individual conscience and the right to dissent from immoral governmental practices.