Question

Read the following excerpt from "Resistance to Civil Government" in which Thoreau argues that a person should disobey the government when its laws go against his or her conscience:
After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest. But a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it. Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience?
How does this excerpt best support Thoreau's argument?

A. It uses a rhetorical question to show that majority and minority rule are unjust.
B. It uses pathos to persuade the reader that majority rule is untrustworthy.
C. It uses ethos to show that conscience depends upon strength in government.
D. It uses logos to show that majority rule is established by might not by right.

Answer 1

Answer: D) It uses logos to show that majority rule is established by might not by right.

Explanation: When writing, an author can use several rhetorical devices in order to persuade, inform or impact the audience in the desired way. Three of the must used rhetorical devices are ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos is an appeal to the audience's ethics, logos is an appeal to the audience's logic and pathos is an appeal to the audience's emotions. In the given excerpt from "Resistance to Civil Government" we can see an example of the use of logos, in this cas to show that majority rule is established by might not by right ("But a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice").