Why we do obey the law? According to philosopher Peter Singer, there are good reasons for obeying the law. But, he also argues, there are times when it acceptable to disobey law. Law are made to be obey, but in some cases people beliefs that there are exception where unjust laws sometimes can be disobey. Singer gives two arguments in favor of obeying laws. First, he argues that is necessary to obey the laws so people avoid to hurting others. Second, Singer argues that to maintain or create order it is necessary to have laws. We all need laws to keep things on order, in most of the cases laws can be change depending on the place and time. In the other hand, civil disobedience can also be viewed as necessary in some cases. Singer argues civil …show more content…
In our history, there are cases where civil disobedience was necessary to made change in our justice system. One example of disobey the law was Martin Luther King on civil right moments. In the letter of Martin Luther king letter to Birmingham Jail. He wrote all his and others African-Americans feeling during the civil right movement. How in peace there were fighting for their rights and how their get tried. They have years fighting to be reconciled as a human being and not a property, fighting in peace didn't’ help them. According to Martin Luther King, “throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered.” (King, 1963) How unjust laws were use to justify bad actions in our society. Luther King also says that “how can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? That lies can be the answer in two types of legal laws (just and unjust).” (King, 1963) In his letter, he talk about the holocaust in Germany and how killing thousands of people where acceptable by the law, even though killing other human being is see as unjustified by
There are many examples of civil disobedience. One of which is the story about Cesar Chavez. Along with how he stated The United Farm Workers
Many people in history have brought change through non-violent civil disobedience, including Susan B. Anthony, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and many more people which have had the courage to stand up for they believe in, but also what they know is right. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most well-know civil activistto have lived, because of his determination of making sure that everyone was treated equally and fairly. One the earliest examples of civil disobedience happend is recorded Sophecles' dramatic tragedy called Antigone. Both Antigone and Martin Luther King used civil disobedience to bring about change, and they bith gave their lives for what they believed to what was in line of God's laws.
King shares that one not only has a legal obligation, but a moral responsibility to obey the laws. Conversely, one has a “moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (King 15). King supports listening to the law, but when laws end up hurting people, they should fight for their
Imagine if someone you loved was shot. You call the cops, but they say that there is nothing that can be done because there are no laws saying they have to punish the criminal. If there were no laws, criminal could get away with crimes like that repeatedly without any punishment. This is a prime example of why laws are needed to keep society in order. The idea of rules in society has been around since King Hammurabi created the first set of laws in 1760 B.C. Egyptian civilizations created laws so that their society would last longer than other civilizations because people would respect their morals. William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, made a statement about human nature, saying that, “Man produces evil as a bee produces honey.” He had a theory that
t isn’t uncommon for the ruling power in society to create rules or regulations that are immoral and unjust. Civil disobedience is a useful method for protesting and declaring one’s opposition to unjust laws through nonviolence. Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr. both engaged in civil disobedience, but the manner in which they executed it varied. Out of the two, King is more deserving of sympathy due to his organizational skills in contrast to Antigone’s impulsive nature.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a key figure in the civil rights movements that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. The “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is an open letter written by King defending nonviolent resistance against racism. The letter argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust and unethical laws. The letter also stresses themes of unity among brothers in order to overcome racism. I will argue in support of King’s stance that citizens are morally justified in breaking unjust laws and that openly and responsibly opposing unjust laws is itself a duty of every citizen.
Many great people have argued about civil disobediences and social injustices. Furthermore, not many realize the purpose of the system and what it means to its people and its country. Both Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr attempted to fight against the law if there is social injustices. Civil disobedience is as old as Prometheus’ disobedience of Zeus in order to give fire to mankind and Antigone’s defiance of Creon’s edict denying proper burial to her brother Polynices (Bedau). In other words, disobeying the law in a good cause.
In any society, change 2210-54382210-5438Civil disobedience is the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences. Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? In your answer, incorporate the principles and specific examples (including current events) that support your conclusion. Examples include: Civil Disobedience-
Civil Disobedience is remarkably effective without the violence that many had thought necessary. Several famous examples include the Salt March of Mahatma Gandhi, the Civil Rights movement of Martin Luther King Jr., and even the sit-ins of the factory workers during the industrial revolution. Although, many still argue that civil
While growing up, our parents taught us what was right and what was wrong based on their beliefs and views. When we were younger, we were taught to follow and obey those who were older than us and possessed a higher authoritative status. One’s reasoning for being obedient includes: religious beliefs, background, and work ethics. Civil disobedience played a large role in America. Creating protests, riots, and sit-ins, America had many examples of disobedience. In America, we value our rights as citizens and individuals. We have the right to protest as stated in the first amendment of the United States Constitution, which is called Freedom of Speech. According to the Webster Dictionary, civil disobedience is said to be “the refusal to obey government demands or commands and nonresistance to consequent arrest and punishment.” Citizens are willing to accept the legal consequences associated with their disobedient actions. How does the law respond to people who engage in civil disobedience? Fining and jail time are the legal consequences enforced by authority but also there is a trend of change. I believe civil disobedience is justified simply by your own personal beliefs and the rights you attain as a citizen. The law is the law, if you disobey; the authoritative figure is responsible for giving a consequence.
Defiance, which is embedded in man, is manifested when grievances are present. Author Oscar Wilde previously commented, "It is through disobedience that progress has been made." Progress, which is defined as moving forward, is most tangible in the form of change. People, when unsatisfied, inherently seek social change through channels of communication to voice their dissent. Disobedience, or willful refusal, creates impetus to social progressivism as demonstrated in history by decolonization efforts, the civil rights movement, and political revolutions.
In our country numerous examples of civil disobedience have shown themselves over the years: Rosa Parks, a woman of color, refused to give up her
Civil disobedience, nonviolently breaking a law and accepting its consequences, positively impacts a free society. This truth can be seen clearly through the American movement for racial equality, because the cause was undeniably just. By accelerating legislative change, leveraging social tension, and increasing civic engagement, the ongoing fight for racial equality demonstrates that civil disobedience is a force for good.
The Civil Rights Movement is a substantial example of civil disobedience for the reason that they were peacefully protesting while accepting their consequences. On the other hand, people today believe that they're protesting peacefully however, peace can lead to violence and take away the credibility of their cause. Causing destruction in their community, where civil disobedience impacts society negatively because the situations get out of hand that cause chaotic cases which involves brutality.
Are we morally obliged to obey even unjust laws? This moral question addresses what we commonly know as civil disobedience. In order to properly discuss civil disobedience and whether or not it is moral to disobey laws, we must first characterize civil disobedience. In Peter Singer's book, Practical Ethics he begins to characterize civil disobedience as arising from "ethical disagreement" and raising the question of whether "to uphold the law, even if the law protects and sanctions things we hold utterly wrong?" (Singer 292).