Thoreau did not plan to buy a farm; he used his time at Walden Pond to exemplify simple living. He believed the best government interferes the least, and he urged readers to resist unjust government actions according to their conscience.
Understanding Thoreau's Intent and Views in Walden and Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau explored the idea of living a life centered on individual freedom and minimal governmental influence. In Walden, Thoreau did not genuinely intend to purchase a farm; instead, he aimed to illustrate the value of living simply by residing in a cabin he constructed at Walden Pond.
His objective of going into the woods was to live deliberately and to front only the essential facts of life, thereby realizing what life had to offer when reduced to its basics. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau defines the best government as the one that governs the least, implying that true governance should interfere minimally in the lives of individuals. At the end of Civil Disobedience, Thoreau encourages readers to resist government policies they find immoral, such as the ones that support slavery or unjust wars, and act according to their conscience, even if that means facing incarceration.