The chance of leisure - Essay Example

Leisure According to Pieper, the working process has denied many people the chance of leisure. It is possible to have leisure time and still go to work. Leisure is an act of celebrating efforts of work. Apollodorus was usually caught up in the marketplace. He was usually too busy to have leisure time until he met Socrates, who introduced him to leisure. Leisure does not mean idleness, and an individual can work and still have leisure time. Having little leisure is going against the rule of leisure.

Leisure is an act of worship to God. Having leisure avoids the sin of acedia, which is a restlessness that makes leisure impossible. According to Pieper, the person refuses to be what God had planned. Religion can be born out leisure as commanded by God to keep the Sabbath day holy. Idleness is brought about by lack of leisure. This idleness can be translated to intellectual laziness. Engaging in leisure helps eradicate internal poverty. It is a time to meditate about one’s achievements and ambitions.

Having leisure is the key to spiritual and mental growth since an individual breaks away from his/her busy schedule of the modern society. Watching TV, playing video games or surfing the net cannot be considered as elements of leisure. Having leisure requires human or spiritual interaction, which cannot be acquired from such gadgets. The technological age has made life busier rather than provide leisure. This is against the traditional meaning of leisure and technology is supposed to reinforce it not decrease it.

Civil Disobedience According to Thoreau, the government has been corrupted by certain individuals who act against the will of the majority. The government has become corrupt and oppressive by empowering a few people to profit economically due to their authority. The regulation on trade has affected the forces of free market negatively. The government has hindered the creativity of the people it should protect. Money has made the government corrupt. Government institutions are responsible for unfair policies and practices.

These policies bind people to these institutions against their will. There exists an inverse relationship between money and freedom. Poor people have the most freedom for rebelling against the government since they depend on the government less. Their protection and welfare is less catered for by the government compared to the rich people. When Thoreau refused to pay taxes for six years, he was imprisoned for one night. He realized that the state lacked moral and intellectual authority to compel people to think in a particular way.

The only advantage it has is brutality and physical strength (13). An individual is obligated to act according to his conscience, which might be against the leadership, government, or society laws. Resistance by the people would serve as patriotism as it seeks to create a better government in the long term. The people should resist the unjust and immoral features of the government such as corruption. The taxes paid by the people were responsible for black slavery and Mexican war (2). The government uses these taxes to fund these unjust activities.

People can survive and live happily without the injustices of the individuals in the government. The American dollar has brought corruption, war, and divided interest of those in power. Coal miners in West Virginia used their company scripts to shop and pay for goods. They were able to enjoy life without using the American dollar. The company provided them with houses and other basic needs. The formation of unions has led to the current work cycle, which is aimed at maximizing profits for the employer.

Most of these unions participated in illegal activities against the will of the majority. Money is indeed the root of most injustices experienced in America. However, people cannot avoid paying taxes to avoid financing American wars and corruption. The call by Thoreau to boycott taxes and avoid using the American dollar is unrealistic. The society has in the past engaged in disobedience such as tax evasion, but the government has always found a way to punish them or get the taxes. The money is used by the government for the provision of services, and some of the wars are for protecting the country.

These taxes are therefore required for smooth operation of government activities. In the modern world, the employer cannot provide workers with houses and shopping places within the company. The workers require money to purchase products from shopping malls and pay rent, which provides employment for other people. The type of disobedience advocated for by Thoreau is therefore unachievable in the modern activity. Work Cited Thoreau, Henry D. On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. Charleston, S.C.: Forgotten Books, 2008. Print.