Based on Thoreau’s transcendental beliefs, why might he have written an essay opposing the war? to explain the individual’s responsibilities within a corrupt society to begin his own political career to call attention to the ways in which the government was essentially good to express his lack of interest in societal issues

Answer: Based on Thoreau's transcendental beliefs, he might have written an essay opposing the war in order to explain the individual's responsibilities within a corrupt society. Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that emerged in the 1830s in the United States, emphasizing the inherent goodness of people and nature and the belief that individuals can rise above materialistic pursuits to reach a higher spiritual state. Thoreau, like other transcendentalists, believed that individuals should be self-reliant and live in harmony with the natural world, and should not blindly follow governmental policies or practices that are unjust or that compromise their moral integrity.

By opposing the war through his essay, Thoreau was asserting the idea that individuals have a duty to resist when the government engages in actions that are against moral or ethical principles. In his famous essay "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau argues that if the government requires people to participate in injustice, such as an unjust war, individuals should resist authority and follow their own conscience. This is a direct reflection of his transcendental belief in the primacy of the individual conscience over societal norms or governmental decrees. He was not driven by political ambitions or a desire to laud the government; rather, he wanted to draw attention to its failings and to inspire individuals to think and act according to their own beliefs about what is right and just.