Life Without Principle

"Thus men will lie on their backs, talking about the fall of man, and never make an effort to get up."

- Henry David Thoreau, Life Without Principle (1863)




Life Without Principle (1863) is an essay written by Henry David Thoreau that easily transcends time with its themes of the busyness of life and man's pursuit of wealth. Thoreau asserts that society should place less value on acquiring money and more on living life. While his philosophical and political writings had little influence on his contemporaries, Thoreau's influence on political leaders and reformers such as Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr., is a testament to the philosophies presented in this work. This is a must-read for Thoreau's followers and for those looking for guidance for a well-lived life.