Life Without Principle

"Life Without Principle" is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that offers his program for a righteous livelihood. It was published in 1863, a few months after his death. Overview The essay provides an overview of Thoreau's philosophy of work and life. It begins by challenging the notion that work is the most crucial aspect of an individual's life. He posits that work often clashes with poetry and living, and emphasizes the need for work to be fulfilling. He reflects on his guilt at watching his neighbor, who was working in the early morning hours, from the comfort of his own home. However, his opinion changes when he observes the end result of the labor - a piece of meaningless yard art. Thoreau asserts that he requires no direction from the "police of meaningless labor" in determining how to spend his time. "All great enterprises are self supporting. The poet, for instance, must sustain his body by his poetry, as the boiler in the wood-cutting mill is fed with the shavings it creates. You must get your living by loving."