Is Civil Disobedience Justified?

Civil disobedience is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as "a refusal to obey governmental commands especially as a nonviolent means of protest."(Jacobus) We can see an example of this in U.S. history, when this theory was applied during the Civil Right Movement. The laws back then restricted African Americans from being able to attend public schools or use public restrooms that were designated as "white only." Even though they had paid taxes like everyone else, these types of segregation laws targeted minorities and made them second-rate citizens. Martin Luther King, who was sincere in exposing

We must be careful not to mistake for civil disobedience what is actually all too often these days, rather uncivil disobedience, in the forms of riots and looting and other forms of criminal conduct that sometimes takes place in the course of large-scale protests and demonstrations that get out of hand. The modern fathers of civil disobedience as a method of political expression and change are, of course, Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King, in the 1950s and 1960s, convinced hundreds and thousands of black Americans to peacefully agitate towards full legal and political equality in the United States. Both men -- and their followers -- faced police and military might and ruthlessness, and both suffered imprisonment, and worse, for their efforts. His followers and supporters, endured tremendous brutality and degradation, but instead of responding in the way they were being treated, they reacted peacefully, offering themselves as living sacrifices for the causes in which they believed.

In addition, civil disobedience is morally permissible is one where there is a limited number of unjust laws which are the focus of opposition, but where there is a fundamentally just set of principles against which those laws can be deemed to be unjust. (Solitary Purdah). To question if civil disobedience can be justified, than we must remember what Abraham Lincoln once said, “Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well-wisher to his posterity swear by the blood of the Revolution never to violate in the least particular the laws of the country. Let every man remember that to violate the law is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the charter of his own and his children’s liberty. We need to understand that the law is there for a reason.

When your human rights are being stripped, it is a great way to change society, as we see in Gandhi’s peaceful revolt. However, in many cases it is not necessary. It would do even more damage, especially if there are other, safer and more human ways for addressing concerns. Laws would be threatened as well as American infrastructure and economy. Through this, civil disobedience requires us to examine the situation. It requires intelligent people to sacrifice something for the greater good, and when it is necessary. The people thinking about disobeying must ask the question “is the law I am being pushed under unjust?” before performing the act. As Gandhi once said “An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so. Now the law of nonviolence says that violence should be resisted not by counter-violence but by nonviolence. This I do by breaking the law and by peacefully submitting to arrest and

How does the social responsibility of intellectuals to demonstrate civil disobedience differ from Lincoln and MLK’s time and today as demonstrated by Black lives matter and Antifa

The relationship between government and citizen is one much contested throughout history. Which is best: oligarchy, anarchy, democracy, or autocracy? When considering America’s government, the Founding Fathers instituted a republic. The rule of law is the cornerstone of a republic. However, due to mankind’s selfish nature, policymakers will inevitably pass unjust legislation. Thus, a republic’s welfare does not rely on absolute obedience to just and unjust laws alike. Rather, it permits civil disobedience, defined as the act of opposing a law one considers unjust and peacefully disobeying it while accepting the consequences. Some people, however, disagree, believing that civil disobedience does not allow for a stable society.

Through the libertarian principle of “non-aggression” people who act out against the government accepting the legal ramifications of their actions inspires others to cry out against tyranny. In The Case against Civil Disobedience the author implores civil disobedience “is an altogether secondary and derivative matter, scarcely capable of being put in a form that is not contradictory, shallow and feeble guide to action.” Was demanding the Fifteenth Amendment be upheld in society to allow for the African American vote and women’s suffrage shallow? America is a country where “all men are created equal”, the citizens not being able to exercise their right to vote freely is contradictory to the original value of the country. Martin Luther King Jr. while in jail wrote “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action.” King was arrested because the local court ruled his protesting was illegal in the city of Birmingham. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights clearly states, “Congress shall make no law [...] abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This process to civil disobedience is still being used today. The Dakota Pipeline protests are legal, however 74 people have been arrested for setting up an illegal camp, since it was on private property. These people view the sacred lands, the purity of the environment is more important than using natural resources. Their actions on paper are illegal, but by following King’s process of a “nonviolent campaign” illustrate peaceful civil disobedience protects free society from the government’s hold on laws and

The United States of America was founded with the remarkable purpose of unifying a multitude of states-homes to citizens all of cultures and beliefs-whom shared a similar goal of creating a life of freedom and prosperity. In order to secure structure and solidity within an entire nation, it has always been extremely vital to maintain a regulatory government with a strong constitution to represent its citizens as a whole. However, the government can often represent the character of the American man in a way which misinterprets his very intentions. When morals and ethics are found to be void within our governmental institution, and it then becomes a “corporation without conscious”, civil disobedience can be the vital key in awakening human emotions

"Anyone in a free society where the laws are unjust has an obligation to break the law." -Henry David Thoreau

The human race doesn’t take injustice lying down. Over the past hundred years, there has been many examples of people taking a stand for their own rights and freedoms through acts of civil disobedience, defined as “the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines, as a peaceful form of political protest”. While a quick glance at today’s society does show a much more accepting and proper view of people of every race, religion and sexuality, our world does not come without its injustices. I believe that these major injustices keep civil disobedience extremely relevant in our current, modern world.

Civil Disobedience is a right that is afforded to all people. When Civil Disobedience is used as a method of getting your point across to the government and law officials it is ok although when things turn violent and get out of control then that is when it is bad. Carl Cohen feels that Civil Disobedience is a method that condones going against authority and promotes violence while Henry Thoreau believe that Civil Disobedience is a great way to draw attention to the wrongs that need to be made right. I believe that everyone should have the right to express themselves without fear of negative response. Recently here in Charlotte NC with the death of Lamont Scott, who was believed to be an unarmed black man killed by a cop, there was Civil

Civil disobedience is one of the most peaceful ways to protest an unjust law in a free society and allows individuals to bring a law under public scrutiny. Free societies allow every citizen to make their opinion known and published, but if an important opinion is published in a smaller newspaper, it may not receive much attention or consideration. Civil disobedience is necessary because it brings attention to injustice by actively demonstrating oppression and mistreatment. The phrase "actions speak louder than words" is common, but not only do actions speak louder than words, but throughout history they have proven to be the only main way to push others in a society to action.

Civil disobedience is a form of resistance that many people have great respect for, and with good reason. Peaceful protest through the disobedience of law requires a dedication that most other action do not. To put your safety on the line the way Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. did requires resilience and bravery. Throughout history, people have responded to the call to be jailed, beaten, and even killed, without raising a finger to protect themselves, in the name of a just and righteous cause. I find this peculiar. Why would they do this? Many resisted unjust laws because they opposed tyranny but disdained violence. The early Christians are a prime example, “turning the other cheek” to the point of being fed to lions. As it turns

In December 2016, thousands of veterans, Native Americans and everyday citizens gathered to peacefully demonstrate against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Suddenly, on the morning of January tenth, they were awakened by barking police dogs and the rumble of military jeeps armed with water cannons and guns headed toward them. But the government’s efforts to crush the courageous protesters failed,and the DAPL construction was put on hiatus. Peaceful civil disobedience, such as the DAPL protests, when embraced as a form of social expression, has helped to rectify numerous unjust policies imposed upon the people. In order to maintain a truly free society, people must be able to act out their beliefs if their

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).