The Philosophy of Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau inadvertently coined the term “Civil Disobedience” in 1849, he wanted the American people to refuse to pay taxes in an attempt to end slavery. In the following 150 years, much of American life has changed. Many would consider Throeau’s method of resistance to be outdated. If this is the case, how can we hope to use Civil Disobedience in the modern era? What does the field of Philosophy have to offer the practice of civil disobedience?