To Obey or Disobey

Through time we have been suffering, from excessive force of power and authority, against human rights, and we witness people dying, because of their beliefs to bring changes for future generations and the well of their country. In other words civil disobedience indicates that the main objective of disobedience is to bring changes in the social or political order that would affect the freedom of citizens. This year we witness many

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 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.

Civil disobedience spawns a major and widely debated issue by many who established by well-known intelligent scholars and many examples of civil disobedience become displayed. The acts of civil disobedience can be noted in major works such as Sophocles?s Antigone, King?s ?Letter from Birmingham Jail?, or even from Plato?s ?from Crito?. A specific claim exemplified throughout these works make that civil disobedience races in gaining popularity and should remain allowed, and continued to be seen as a solution to reform poorly established laws. A claim represented is, civil disobedience is right. Rhetorically, appeals such

Social organizations pressure one another to conform to decisions made. How? Group conformity shows that individuals often seek agreement with the rest of its members. Concern towards what others think, members tend to comply with arrangements favored by the rest of the crowd. Conditions such as leadership, positions, and circumstances make us believe we need to yield to what society implies is right.

The act of violating the laws and authority of the state is justified only when the measures taken by the state are contrary to the morals, ethics, and public opinion of the governed. On the occasion that truly “unjust” rule is forced upon a citizenry, violating that authority can be validated. The factors which contribute to an unjust governance are the states’ adherence to common morality, the power structure of the government, how closely it follows the public will, and the ethical consideration taken by the power. Civil disobedience, however, must be exercised cautiously and with extreme restraint, because if the private individual has the power to neglect the law due to personal interest, the society will deteriorate into chaos. Although Sophocles’ Antigone and Plato’s Crito do not exhibit a shared interpretation of when it is justified to disobey the state, considering both pieces will strengthen an understanding of when it is appropriate to practice a degree of law breaking.

Civil disobedience has been used throughout history to overthrow oppression among many communities, and was a technique used by men such as Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dali Lama. It is the refusal to follow a certain law by means of peaceful protest and non-violence, to challenge a law that is unjust and amoral. Many believe that law and order in society should never be broken, and no matter how unjust it maybe, it is essential for everyone to follow, however, Christian philosopher Saint Augustine once said, “An unjust law is no law at all” (Paquette, Gini-Newman, 374). A law that discriminates is not justifiable, and cannot be considered a valid law. Sometimes the only way to get rid of an unjust law is to challenge and disobey it, and in these circumstances, it becomes a duty for an individual to contest. Civil disobedience can be acceptable as long as the law being challenged is unjust, it is completed in a non-violent manner, and it is done as an action of last resort when nothing else has worked.

Today, more than ever, the increase of domestic disobedience has increased drastically upon the Star Spangled nation. Protests, riots, and mass demonstrations have occurred due to the civil issues that plague society and the government. The act of opposing a law has not only become common but has taken place as a norm in the community. Despite the drastic effects of going against decrees and regulations created by the government and authorities, there seems to be a trend of positive impacts on minorities and uneducated individuals.

Civil disobedience is a product of free speech, which has allowed for regular citizens to voice their grievances with laws they deem unjust. The use of civil disobedience has had paramount effects on our society; although whether these effects are positive has stirred some discussion. Numerous arguments have been made on how civil disobedience is detrimental in a world propped up on law and order. However, peaceful resistance to unrighteous laws can only benefit society unequivocally.

The supports can, paradoxically, be inherent within the system, or alternatively can be provided by the civil society. People engage in civil disobedient activities because they still have some faith in the flexibility and the fundamental legitimacy of the system. Violation of law is but a step that they consider necessary towards a conversation with the system. Although having lost confidence in the system reforming itself, they still believe that it responds to demands (although the demands have to be raised in a somewhat radical fashion) and contains a set of valid procedures that make possible a transformation that conforms to their notion of justice. If confidence in the responsiveness of the system in the short-term is low, civil obedience is also possible if solidarity groups of the civil society continuously furnish organizational and emotional support to its

Civil disobedience, the deliberate breaking of laws, is one of those struggles that free society needs. When society has fallen ill to corruption, to immoral legislation, to injustice, it is the duty of the citizens to stand up and speak (or scream,

Civil disobedience is a concept that is valued throughout the world. If the government abuses its laws and symbolizes injustice, one can disobey those laws. Such prominent leaders that signified the importance of civil resistance through words, speeches, and walks were Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mohandas K. Gandhi. They were significant in their lifetime; they spread peaceful and meaningful resistances to prove that the government was not always right. Civil disobedience is a citizen’s moral responsibility because it demonstrates a person's capability in governing their own life no matter what the consequences are and it shows that authority only has power if the people let it control them and regulate them with unjust laws,

Civil disobedience is a human dilemma, an internal, moral restlessness to an act of authority. It voices the power of the people, strengthens democracy and puts checks and balances on the Executive power. It is a non violent act that may be either positive: peacefully protesting against what one feels is wrong. It can also be negative when external forces turn a peaceful protest violent. It is essentially a challenge to the claimed legitimacy of authority, a declaration that the authority has done something it is not entitled to do or has failed to do something that it is responsible to do. One of the earliest examples of civil disobedience is found in Exodus 1:15-17. The King of Egypt had commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill any boy babies born to the Hebrews. Because these midwives feared God, they obeyed His higher law and let the babies live. From this first act, civil disobedience has advanced many causes. Because it gives people an opportunity to force politicians to change,

Practitioners of civil disobedience believe an individual’s natural law outweighs the importance of the state law. In their opinion, the perfect government is founded on natural law. This reveals that humans prefer to adhere to personal morals than that of the state which governs them because they disapprove of being controlled by others. People struggle for freedom to be governed by their personal natural law that is based on morals, beliefs, and philosophy. The clash between natural and state law is explored through the texts of “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, Antigone by Sophocles, and the article “Lebanon trash crisis protesters now want to junk politicians” by Zeina Karam.

Laws are the backbone of nations around the world, as they are rules and principles set forth by those who govern to control the populace. Whether it a democracy or a dictatorship, laws are the manner by which leaders direct the people. Often times, these laws are meant for the stability, safety, and maintenance of society in that nation. However, laws sometimes stray away from these goals and are viewed with contempt by the people. Such laws can lead to the enslavement of millions of innocent people, the abolishment of human rights, or the destruction of moral sanctity. At such instances, in which the laws created by the government are found to be morally incorrect or unjust, the practice of civil disobedience is needed. The various ideals and tenants of civil disobedience have permeated into literature and have inspired individuals throughout history to take a stand against immoral laws.