Quote

“

It is not so important that many should be as good as you, as that there be some absolute goodness somewhere; for that will leaven the whole lump.

— Henry David Thoreau

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What does this quotation mean?

From ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE of Walden, and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. Read the surrounding argument as well as the excerpt; its historical language and philosophical assumptions shape its meaning.

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Source: Walden, and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience , ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Edition: English electronic text

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From Walden, and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

Excerpt checked against the linked public-domain English edition. Korean rendering and context note by Quotations; not an authorized translation. Historical punctuation is retained; line breaks and editorial footnote markers are normalized.

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