Essay on Civil Disobedience - 1397 Words

All throughout world history, 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 reasons. Henry David Thoreau believed that a certain war tax was unjust during the Mexican War and he refused to pay it. This then lead to his arrest and one day in jail where he wrote the essay Civil Disobedience. Martin†¦show more content†¦The person in the passage does not even talk about using negotiations to achieve their goal, instead they directly refuse to follow a rule which a direct rebellion toward the government. This passage relates to Thoreaus method of civil disobedience the most. The reason for this is because Thoreau believed that he had a moral obligation to himself to do what he thought was right, instead of a government who does what they believe is right for its people and themselves. Thoreau stated this best when he said, the only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think is right. This is exactly what the first quote was stating, that the protester has an obligation to himself first and can do anything including directly disobey an unjust rule in order to fulfill that obligation. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi on the other hand believed in negotiating with the government first before participating in acts of civil disobedience and they also believed that everyone should still follow the rules and laws, only disobeying them if they oppressed human beings. Martin Luther King Jr. expresses this belief when he stated that, Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so toShow 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. 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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 wasRead MoreCivil Disobedience Essay958 Words   |  4 PagesCivil Disobedience Civil disobedience: â€Å"Refusal to obey civil laws in an effort to induce change in governmental policy or legislation, characterized by the use of passive resistance or other non-violent means† (Houghton, 2000). Although this definition seems broad enough to cover any aspect of a discussion, there is still much to be said about the subject. Martin Luther King wrote a fifty paragraph letter about