Essay about Civil Disobedience - 935 Words

The political concepts of justice and how a society should be governed have dominated literature through out human history. The concept of peacefully resisting laws set by a governing force can be first be depicted in the world of the Ancient Greeks in the works of Sophocles and actions of Socrates. This popular idea has developed over the centuries and is commonly known today as civil disobedience. Due to the works of Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. civil disobedience is a well-known political action to Americans; first in the application against slavery and second in the application against segregation. Thoreau’s essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† and King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† are the leading arguments in defining†¦show more content†¦Thoreau makes that evident in the following quote from his essay: â€Å"There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery†¦ who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to [ it]; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what to do, and do nothing; and even postpone the question of freedom to the question of free-trade†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Thoreau, 270). Thoreau demands civil disobedience from his fellow countryman to correct the errors of the government in regards to slavery and the war of his time. Thoreau defines this concept as a deed of willful resistance, obtained by disobeying the hypocritical laws. One deed he offers his countrymen to consider as their deed of civil disobedience, is a refusal to pay taxes. Another deed, one Thoreau highly recommends, is to avert oneself from conspiring with the government in refusing to actively participate in it. Most importantly civil disobedience is civil. Meaning that the resistance to the government is peaceful and non-violent in it’s methods. King’s work in civil disobedience seems to be in agreement with Th oreau in regarding civil disobedience as a duty of his fellow countrymen. King demands justice for the African Americans in the civil rights movement of the 1960s in his letter. King’s famous line to call the people out to demand justice from the government, â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,† (Schulke,Show MoreRelatedcivil disobedience2309 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿IS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE JUSTIFIED? â€Å"The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment. 1 â€Å"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it s the only thing that ever has.2 History has shown us through the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. who went against the greater power of their time to fight for injustice. These few respectableRead MoreLessons in Civil Disobedience828 Words   |  4 Pagesto its effectiveness, individualism, and past history of the world that has made immense progress. It is important to notice that if civil disobedience was not effective, then it would not be continually used to disobey the law. In The Role of Civil Disobedience in Democracy† by Kayla Starr, she explains why we have the right to participate in civil disobedience. â€Å"The U.S. Bill of Rights asserts that the authority of a government is derived from the consent of the governed, and whenever any formRead MoreEssay on Civil Disobedience1397 Words   |  6 Pageshistory, human beings have participated in acts of civil disobedience. However, in the last two centuries the belief and practice of it has been in full swing and has even brought on major historical events, especially concerning equal rights and just laws. Three major firm believers and activists in civil disobedience were Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi. All three of these men participated in acts of civil disobedience but each in his own way and for different reasonsRead MoreCivil Dis obedience Or Obedience?885 Words   |  4 PagesLaKyia Scott Professor Nelson English 1302 09 February 2015 Civil Disobedience or Obedience INTRODUCTION Civil disobedience is defined as the â€Å"refusal to obey civil laws in an effort to induce change in government policy or legislation, characterized by nonviolent means†; theories on this topic have been debated for centuries. (American Heritage Dictionary 3rd Edition pg161) Henry David Thoreau was well known for his refusal to participate in the political systems or activities of his era,Read MoreCivil Disobedience, By Thoreau870 Words   |  4 PagesCivil disobedience is the refusal to obey civil laws in an effort to induce change in governmental policy or legislation. Thoreau s infamous ideas on Civil Disobedience, written in 1849, have been monumental in the fight for change. It has helped influence change anywhere from the 1940s fight against Danish resistance, to the 1950s and McCarthyism. Thoreau s words have helped lead the way to freedom. It has made the people of the world think about how they are being governed and how theyRead MoreCivil Disobedience in Ameri ca1044 Words   |  4 Pagesobedient 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 â€Å"the refusal to obey government demands or commandsRead MoreEssay on Civil Disobedience738 Words   |  3 PagesCivil Disobedience Henry Thoreau wrote an essay about it in the 19th century. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached it in the South. Mahatma Gandhi encouraged it in India. Nelson Mandela went to jail for promoting it. The Bible says that Paul, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were all guilty of it. According wikipedia.org, civil disobedience encompasses the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violenceRead MoreThoreau On Civil Disobedience1458 Words   |  6 PagesKonstantin Keller Anne Portman Philosophy 2010 4 December 2015 Thoreau on Civil Disobedience In Civil Disobedience, Henry Thoreau asserts that one should prioritize one’s conscience over the dictates of law. Thoreau begins his essay by arguing that government is rarely useful and that its power comes merely from the fact that the government is the strongest group, rather than because they hold the most correct viewpoint. He believes that people are obligated to do what they think is right and toRead MoreEssay on Civil Disobedience1532 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Civil disobedience is the term assigned to actions taken by individuals to sway public opinion about laws that individuals deem unfair or unjust. Actions taken are usually nonviolent, and can include sit-ins, mass demonstrations, picket lines, and marches. Citizens are acting on their consciences, demonstrating highly advanced moral reasoning skills. Generally, these advanced skills fall into Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Development, Stage Five and Six in particular. Characteristics ofRead MoreCivil Disobedience And The Apartheid1428 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout history, civil disobedience has been used to bring about change across a wide variety of civil rights issues. In India, Mahatma Gandhi used civil disobedience to nonviolently protest against the British Raj and, after a thirty-year struggle, earn independence both for himself and his people. In the United States, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. employed civil disobedience to overcome both the Jim Crow laws that had oppressed the African-American minority and the systemic racism that was