Walden and Civil Disobedience

Walden is a book written by Henry David Thoreau, a reflection upon simple living in nature. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, satire, and manual for self-reliance. By immersing himself in nature, Thoreau hoped to gain a more objective understanding of society through personal introspection. Simple living and self-sufficiency were Thoreau's other goals, and the whole project was inspired by transcendentalist philosophy.