Final answer:
Mahatma Gandhi's "On Civil Disobedience" is intended to persuade readers to adopt civil disobedience as a moral action against unjust governments, fulfilling their duty to themselves and their community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's purpose of "On Civil Disobedience" by Gandhi is b) To persuade. Mahatma Gandhi used the essay as a means to convey the principle of civil disobedience as a moral response to an unjust state. Gandhi sought to inspire his audience to recognize their own obligations towards justice and to encourage a non-violent opposition to the British colonial rule in India. The essence of Gandhi's message in this piece is the argument that civil disobedience becomes a 'sacred duty' when faced with a corrupt or lawless state, and by engaging in such an act, individuals fulfill their duty towards themselves and their community.