Answer: Government can act as an impediment to the will and morality of individual men.
In his essay "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau defends the importance of following one's own will and morality, even when this is opposed to the law. He believes that, sometimes, the government can pass laws that differ from what people know in their heart to be true. When this happens, the people are obligated to act morally, regardless of what the law says. Therefore, it is better if the government governs very little, because this problem will arise less often.
