civil disobedience 的詞源

“民衆抵抗政府”一詞最早由梭羅於1866年創造，作爲他的一篇論文的標題，該論文最初發表於1849年。

If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose. If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible. [Thoreau]

如果只有兩個選擇，要麼把所有正義的人都關進監獄，要麼放棄戰爭和奴隸制，那麼政府不會猶豫選擇哪一個。如果有一千個人今年不交稅，那不會是一種暴力和血腥的措施，因爲交稅纔會讓政府實施暴力並流無辜的血。事實上，如果有可能的話，這就是和平革命的定義。  [梭羅]