Civil Disobedience Research Paper

If one were to examine the history of human civilization, they would be certain to find one continuity: the existence of law. From the ancient state of Babylon to the United States of America, citizens find themselves bound by certain rules and regulations. The laws set forth by our government tell us what to do, what not to do, and give us incentives to act in a “proper manner.”Ideally law fosters order in society.However,because of the imperfect nature of our world, law and order do not always go hand in hand. The conception of law resulted in the conception of its antithesis: rebellion against law. When activists have an objection to the laws of a society, there can be a tendency to resort to illegal behavior in order to have their voices heard. When people rebel against laws, can this act ever be considered moral or, is the very nature of breaking law immoral in itself? In order to answer this question, we must first establish what it means to be moral. Although the meaning of morality is not easily answered, we can attempt to ground morality by asking if universal moral laws exist? If one were to say yes to this question, they …show more content…
Although moral protest can have beneficial consequences for society, the very act of civil disobedience “undermines our democratic processes” (Van Dusen, 192). This is because civil disobedience goes against the very foundation of our government. A democracy can change, but it must change through “the decisions of courts and the laws of elected assemblies” (Van Dusen, 192). This is not to say that civil disobedience has no place in society, it can be acceptable. In the case of the Boston Tea Party, civil disobedience was a good course of action because there was “no court system to dispose of injustices” (Van Dusen, 190). Van Dusen maintains a very Hobbesian idea in regards to morals in society and their impact on