As we set out in the world for the first time, it is clear that the world around us is flawed. Most of us are shielded during our childhood in order to protect our innocence, but as we go out into the real world we need to understand that people defy the rules of society. There is a large difference between disobeying the laws that every citizen must abide by and standing up to a cause that we believe in. Disobedience is important to the progression of the world around us, but there are different types of disobedience. There is disobedience that has a positive effect, such as people peacefully protesting for what they believe in and fighting for a change. There is also disobedience that has a negative effect, such as people breaking the …show more content…
For example, the Milgram Experiment was a psychological experiment that tested subjects by telling them to administer shocks to someone if the answered a question wrong. The voltage increased with every wrong answer, and some subjects stopped when they heard screams and some did not. Some did not stop because they were told to continue, and were relieved of any responsibility for the other person. The findings of this experiment got people talking about obedience and why we would put following orders before the safety of others. Another example is pro athletes kneeling during the National Anthem. This has started a conversation over the last year about disrespect towards to the flag and the actual cause players are advocating for. It is getting people to think about the rights that we have and those who fought for us to have those rights. It has also started a discussion about the real cause of the protests– racism and police brutality. Lastly, protests for legalizing gay marriage are the reason that it is legal across the United States. The government took action because people were refusing to accept that gay marriage shouldn’t be legal. Things will not change until the conversation is started. Disobeying authority is often viewed as a very negative thing, however, it is often the catalyst for social change. In our younger years we are always told that we need to respect the rules and laws set by those older than us. Although this is still true
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 is a trait needed to remove unfair rules and laws. Socially, disobedience against the government has had significant backlash. However, disobedience against
Disobedience is the failure or refusal to obey rules or someone in authority. Disobedience like obedience becomes a virtue. Disobedience can prove that a person can stand against what they think is wrong and what they believe. In the past, there has been people that fought for what they thought was correct and made a change in the world. Like Irish Oscar Wilde once said, “It is through disobedience that progress has been made…,” I believe only the courageous will stand for themselves and for what they believe. Just like Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King did.
Disobedience, in today’s culture, is inherently generalized to be something negative. However, there are times when disobedience is not just wrong, but desperately needed. Disobedience is the main cause of both social and political change. Thus Oscar Wilde’s claim that disobedience is a valuable human and that it prompts social progress - is most certainly correct and examples of it can be seen in both the American Revolution and the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In these two examples we see that there is a right time to disobey as well as a right reason.
From the monarchs of the ancient era to the democracy of today, order has been maintained by means of rules and regulations known as laws. Compliance with these laws is enforced through punishments ranging in severity according to the crimes committed to reduce violence and misconduct from individuals within a society. However, just as citizens consent to abide by the laws of the state in which they reside, one is compelled to preserve justice and condemn the unjust decisions of man when the social contract contradicts the laws sanctioned by God. Approaching this conflict between natural and manmade laws in a non-violent manner is called “civil disobedience”.
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.
Disobedience has proven to be necessary throughout humanity’s history, for it has brought us freedom, progress, and experience. Throughout these past centuries, humans have rebelled against social norms and their political oppressors to obtain the freedom and equality we enjoy nowadays, leading to the idea that disobedience and rebellion are important aspects in society. This in turn has also instilled in others the idea that disobedience isn’t proper, but rather detrimental to society, forgetting that rebellions and protests also fall under this category. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that disobedience in the past has actually helped humanity, as seen during the American Revolution
The idea that disobedience promotes social progress is valid because there is a saying that says “we learn from our mistakes” so through the trouble people make, they learn and grow from that situation. For instance, in schools, many students face tests that did not study for and fail it, but later they try to study again to do better the next time. Hardship opens the mind to a different perspective which also means people would rebel to give them a different meaning in their life. This mentality creates a sense of hope and pride that makes people want to do better or try to progress from that mistake. Most people like a challenge which helps encourage them to work harder and help them to realize that there is always a way to finding a better
A man once said, “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. ” And in order to make any necessary changes to the unjust law, you must use civil disobedience. Due to the fact that civil disobedience might be the only way one can express how one feels about the situation, while gathering public’s approval, in order to make the adjustments. As first demonstrated in Sophocles’ Antigone, the concept of civil disobedience can be defined as defying a law that is unjust with one’s morals. Along with evidence from a variety of other sources on civil disobedience, such as The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery, Analysis of Plato’s Crito on Sparknotes, BBC News’ Ukraine marks Orange Revolution, and David Thoreau’s
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 has gained a significant number of people their rights and continues to make a difference. Defiance has inspired a generous amount of change in the world around us, and provided frequent opportunities for creation.Without our capacity to disobey, we would never have been able to question authority and make incredible advancements in science. We would not have even created our own country. Although some rules can help to prevent situations total anarchy, disobedience has unequivocally had a major positive impact on
Societies were first formed to create unity and order, and while some freedom must be sacrificed in order for society to function, people should not have to give up their basic human rights. There are clear instances in which disobedience has a negative connotation. A child not listening to their parent’s bed time is certainly not classified as a hero like Martin Luther King Jr. Juvenile rebellion is what people typically view as disobedience. Laws function to maintain order in society. Without a set of rules, the world would be chaotic. But it is the citizen's’ job to recognize when a rule is unjust. There is a distinct difference between rebellion and rebellion with a moral cause. For instance, violating traffic laws does nothing to enact social reforms; it is an act of self interest and can result in serious harm. On the other hand, calling into question a serious social issue, like segregation, could bring change to an immoral law. So, while cases of self-serving disobedience are fruitless excuses to violate the law, rebellion can be a crucial tool used to enact social reforms. Although order is necessary for society to function, there are instances when laws are unfair and must be changed for the good of the
From the time we are children and throughout the duration of our lives, we are told to abide by certain sets of rules. In most situations this is a perfectly acceptable expectation; speed limits, remaining quiet in libraries, and waiting until the age of twenty-one to drink are all reasonable things to ask of people. After all, these rules and laws are put in place to ensure a peaceful and safe society. However, when these rules begin to infringe upon the rights of certain groups, some citizens turn to civil disobedience as a form of protest. While some may argue that civil disobedience is nothing more than a violation of the law, it has also proven to have a positive impact on society, in more ways than one. Used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin
Disobedience has been a man’s virtue ever since laws have been constructed. As a progression that has developed in our society , it is safely to indicate that disobedience is morally acceptable by the common people. In order for change, people have demonstrated disobedience successfully to promote social progress, change is impossible without disobedience.Our society has failed to realize that there is no such thing a “perfect society”. There are people in our society who agree with change and would sacrifice themselves for it through violence and multiple times of rejection. Many individuals known as the majority simply do not like change. This majority is the group that construct these laws that we must follow. Thoreau states ,” A majority is permitted , and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are mostly likely right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest.” Although we do perceive the system as the strongest, citizens still use disobedience to challenge the system’s authority. Disobedience is a man’s virtue when our natural rights are being violated by the majority . In order for change to occur the common people must use disobedience to fight the injustice in their society to promote social progress.
Oscar Wilde believed rebellion was necessary for social progress and confided in disobedience being an essential human trait. In order to experience modification, you rebel against the discriminating laws that bring problems to you and your people. Furthermore, when awareness is given to an issue, there is extensive social progress being taken place.