Which idea of Henry David THOREAU was adapted by 20th century leaders of great social change movements
One idea of Henry David Thoreau that was adapted by 20th century leaders of great social change movements was the concept of civil disobedience. Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience" argued that individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws and policies through nonviolent means.
This idea strongly influenced leaders such as Mohandas Gandhi, who used civil disobedience as a key strategy in India's fight for independence from British colonial rule. Gandhi's peaceful protests, including the Salt March, inspired others around the world to adopt similar methods of resistance and became a cornerstone of the civil rights movement in the United States.
Martin Luther King Jr., an influential leader of the civil rights movement, also drew inspiration from Thoreau's concept of civil disobedience. King emphasized nonviolent resistance and peaceful protest as powerful tools to challenge racial injustice and inequality.
Furthermore, the idea of civil disobedience was also evident in movements against the Vietnam War. Activists such as the renowned anti-war activist and politician, Howard Zinn, and Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the classified Pentagon Papers, pointed to Thoreau's writings to justify their acts of dissent against what they saw as an unjust war.
Overall, Thoreau's concept of civil disobedience had a profound impact on 20th century leaders of social change movements, who utilized it as a powerful tool for challenging injustice and effecting social and political transformation.