Civil Disobedience: Are We Morally Obliged to Obey Unjust Laws? Essay

Are we morally obliged to obey even foul laws? This question raises the discussion of what we call accomplished disobedience. Elliot Zashin, author of Civil noncompliance and Democracy, defines civil disobedience as, a knowing violation of public norm (considered binding by local authorities but which may at last be invalidated by the courts) as a form of profess it is non-revolutionary, public, and nonviolent (i.e. there is no use of physical violence merely self-defensively when participants are physically attacked, and no resistance to arrest if made mightily and without undue force). (Zashin, 118) One point that Carl Cohen, associate professor of philosophy at University of Michigan, thinks is essential to the definition is that the, mere knowledge of the unlawfulness does not make it civil disobediencethe civil disobedient must do more than wittingly break the law. Absolutely essential is the further element of kvetch. (Cohen, 11) In other(a) words, civil disobedi ence is knowingly breaking a law to protest the law. This may not be as controversial as any(prenominal) topics, but there are many strong points on twain sides. A major objection is tied to the idea of social draw theory as well as extreme faith in the proper workings of the judicial and legislative systems. According the this objection, the government of the coupled States, which calls itself democratic, for instance, is set up to listen to the needs of the people and to make laws accordingly. thither is no need to protest or to civilly disobey because the governments job is to take care of such problems. Socrates, a Hellenic philosopher, when forced with a suicide execution refused escape because he had profited from the laws of capital of Greece thus far, was given a... ...tic government.BIBLIOGRAPHY Cohen, Carl, Civil Disobedience, Tactics and the Law. 1971, Columbia University Press NY. Pgs 3, 5, 6, 9, and 11. answer of Independe nce ONLINE http//www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/declaration_transcript.html. 20 Nov 03 Singer, Peter, Practical Ethics Second Edition. 1993, Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK. Pgs 298-306 Smith, Michael P, et al, governmental Obligation and Civil Disobedience Readings. 1972, Thomas Y. Crowell Company NY. Pgs. 179, 180, and 183. Suber, Peter, Civil Disobedience. ONLINE http//www.earlham.edu/peters/ paternity/civ-dis.htm. 19 Nov 03. Zashin, Elliot M., Civil Disobedience and Democracy. 1971, The Free Press NY. Pgs. 118, and 131.