Question

what reasons and evidence does thoreau offer to justify his view that the people who truly serve the state are those who often resist

Answer 1

Thoreau argues that the people who resist the government are those that really serve the state. These are the people who are individual thinkers, and who understand the importance of following their own morals and principles. They are also the ones who keep the government in check by ensuring that the laws they pass are moral and fair. He believes this is what he is doing by resisting to pay taxes that fund enterprises he believes are cruel and illegitimate.

Answer 2

Thoreau was all about the individual conscience and autonomy. He refused to accept the edict of "majority rules". He felt that individuals made America strong and not a group of people who happened to vote the same way.