Question

Help please!!

Read the following paragraph from "Resistance to Civil Government" by
Henry David Thoreau:
But a government in which the majority rule in all cases can not
be based on justice, even as far as men understand it. Can there
not be a government in which the majorities do not virtually
decide right and wrong, but conscience? - in which majorities
decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is
applicable? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least
degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every
man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and
subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for
the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I
have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.
Analyze Thoreau's choice to use rhetorical questions in this paragraph. How
do the rhetorical questions contribute to the essay's power? Be sure to include
specific details from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Thoreau's use of rhetorical questions in this paragraph serves to challenge the reader's assumptions about the nature of government and the relationship between the individual and the state. By asking questions such as "Can there not be a government in which the majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience?" and "Why has every man a conscience then?" Thoreau is forcing the reader to consider whether their allegiance to the government is based on an unquestioning acceptance of the majority's decisions or on a deeper sense of personal morality. The questions also create a sense of urgency and provoke the reader to think critically about their own beliefs and values. Overall, Thoreau's use of rhetorical questions enhances the power of his essay by encouraging the reader to engage with his ideas on a deeper level and to question their own assumptions about government and individual responsibility.