Disobedience, By Oscar Wilde

The author exemplifies the ways that disobedience helps the society and its contribution to furthering the human race but notes on the fact that blind obedience may eventually account for the end of civilization.

Disobedience always comes with a reason, some do it to go against something that is wrong others do it for attention or because they do not care about the situation. When there is an unjust law that is putting someone down or is oppressing it, people will begin to go against the law and not stand around while everyone including themselves gets hurt. Just Laws are to help and to keep everyone safe and unjust laws are made for minorities to stay away from the high-class group who want nothing with them. Sadly today there are still unjust laws to put people down but they are not standing around to let it happen. Martin Luther King could not watch his brothers and sisters be constantly put down so he went against unjust laws to stand his grounds. Antigone shared similarities when she went against king Creon rules rule to not bury her brother Polyneicês, she knew the consequences but paid no minds and stood her ground and kept doing what she has planned to do.

I strongly agree with what Oscar Wilde’s statement. Stating that “disobedience is man’s original virtue” is saying that we as people know more about disobedience than anything else. Many people would say that disobedience holds a great deal with the way people carry themselves. To not accept disobedience, you will have to work really hard on how you can change that and make things better. There are many different types of disobedience. For example, there is civil disobedience which carries a great deal with the law and how you act to the laws.

Disobedience is an important force in our society and helps bring about necessary social progress because it will lead to superior lives for its citizens. Oscar Wilde believed that through disobedience there is man’s original virtue. He asserts that civil disobedience promotes social progress. I agree with Wilde's belief because looking throughout centuries, society has shown a variety of situations with the act of practicing disobedience,and have achieved their goal.

Human beings possess several virtues that differentiate them from other creatures and can use them in ways that represent their perceptions of social order. Surprisingly, Oscar Wilde believes that disobedience is an original virtue of every human and that it is responsible for progress and development. While Wilde’s claim is not entirely accurate, it is largely valid as evidenced by the recent events across the world, including the US, that have led to positive outcomes in spite of being termed and perceived as acts of disobedience.

In 1891, Irish author Oscar Wilde observed,” Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience and through rebellion. Sometimes negatives bring positives.

Some major changes and advancements in society wouldn't have occurred without disobedience. When the British taxed the colonies, rebels responded with the Boston Tea Party. This led to the American Revolution. In the end, the United States gained it's independence. When women wanted political power, they responded through the Women's Suffrage movement. In the end, the 19th amendment was passed. When we disagree with unjust actions, we respond by

Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience “is a form of direct action in which the law is broken in order to force an issue into the political and public arenas” (British Library Board). Protesters would break a law to show their point of view about an irrational law that was passed. Civil disobedience was a common action shown to protest in the romantic era. One protester was David Henry Thoreau. He wrote an essay called Civil Disobedience.

To relate this idea of disobedience Fromm first discusses the beginning of civilization.

“Government is best which governs least” according to the article “Civil Disobedience,” by Henry David Thoreau. In this article, Thoreau also mentioned that he believes that government is best when it governs not at all. However when a government governs not at all, then there exist chaos and war. But a government that governs least is a government that many people will agree is the best type of government. This type of government allows people absolute freedom.

Someone who only obeys is a slave and someone who only disobeys is a rebel. Every person has a human conscience, the conscience helps them determine the right and wrong. The conscience is what make us humans, it is our call back to humanity. When you disobey, you are saying that you are not afraid to be free. Freedom is caused by disobedience and disobedience is caused by freedom.

When David Thoreau wrote “Civil Disobedience,” the government was much more punishing than it is today and it was much less likely for someone to stand out against the government. That being said, today, it would be much easier to practice non-conformity because today’s society is much more welcoming of out of the box ideals and beliefs. For example, when Thoreau had, “paid no poll-tax,” he, “was put into a jail...on this account, for one night.” In today’s society though, if a person didn’t pay a tax, then they would simply take it up with the government, and wouldn’t be thrown into jail on the spot. This example shows that being disobedient to the government today would be much easier to accomplish because of the lesser penalties. The gist of this fact is that because the practice of civil disobedience has become commonplace in today’s society, from living in a tree for years to strapping oneself to a historical building, making it easier to get away with noncompliance without having grave

Oscar Wilde´s claim on the idea of disobedience is valid with referral to history as well as with connection to virtue and morals. In Wilde´s claim, he states that disobedience is a form of expressing human morals. I agree that disobedience encourages social progress and that it is a crucial human characteristic. He targets audiences who are knowledgeable in history in order to convey his claim through a historical reference of rebellion. Although Wilde’s claim is applicable in these terms, there are many situations where disobedience is just pure disruption today.

“Disobedience” is doing what we want although the ordinary way or rules depict otherwise. Many times when something is going wrong the only way to make it better is to do it differently but if rules do not allow change the problem will never be solved. Irish author Oscar Wilde claims that disobedience is a good thing that contributes to progress. Wilde’s claim is very true, disobedience is good because if someone does not step up and do it things nothing will progress forward as desired.

“It is through disobedience that progress has been made,” (Wilde). In history, speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr. have used disobedience toward their cause; therefore, rebellion and disobedience doesn't always carry a negative connotation. When fighting for a cause rebellion is useful for making one’s issue known. Oscar Wilde observation on rebellion and disobedience can be used to both the prosperity and the demise of social progress. Disobedience is seen everywhere throughout history; however, many of the times its considered to be a negative concept.