• Home Page
  • How Does John Rawls Define Civil Disobedience

How Does John Rawls Define Civil Disobedience

Improved Essays
Show More
John Rawls defined civil disobedience as a politically motivated, public, non­violent and conscientious breach of law undertaken with the aim of bringing about a change in laws or government policies (Rawls, pg 364). With this in mind, he gives us three reasons as to what justifies the act of civil disobedience.

1) A clear violation of justice, particularly violation of equal liberty and fair equality of opportunities (Rawls 372). This is aimed directly to any of those laws that are clearly meant to restrict or subject certain groups to unjust conditions. Jim crow laws, or restriction on gay marriage in the 1990’s are examples of unjust laws and obstruction that violated a minority group. Rawls also include the condition of obstruction of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Civil Disobedience Gandhi Analysis
    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Civil Disobedience Gandhi Analysis

    Civil disobedience is defined as members of a community choosing to actively disobey laws in protest of a cause. As proponents of civil disobedience, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi advocated for those following their causes to complete acts disregarding unjust laws put in place to draw attention to their separate causes. This method of fighting for a cause emphasizes understanding of the necessity for change, that people are actively defying the law to draw attention to the unfair systems in place. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used this to promote his movement of racial equality as compared with Gandhi’s movement for the separation of India from Britain. Both of their similar philosophies resulted in a degree of success, “the peaceful…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Civil Disobedience In The Case Of Nathaniel Heatwole
    • 1203 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Civil Disobedience In The Case Of Nathaniel Heatwole

    Civil Disobedience is a term that varies among different people. In the mind of Henry David Thoreau the definition of Civil Disobedience requires you to have at least three things. You must be able to identify an issue at hand. You must be willing to take action for that issue. You must be prepared to take responsibility for those actions.…

    • 1203 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr., And Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience
    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr., And Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    Since Henry David Thoreau coined the phrase “Civil Disobedience” in an essay, the term has been assigned to a number of movements throughout history. The essay’s ideas have inspired several significant figures throughout history, including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela (Source A). These three men led non-violent struggles in which unjust laws were disobeyed, and they each finally won profound and positive societal changes. But not every act of civil disobedience is successful. There were specific factors that allowed certain movements to triumph and others to be crushed.…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience Rhetorical Analysis

    Civil Disobedience is another important aspect in Thoreau essay “under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison” in other words although people were sent to jail for not paying their poll tax during this time. Thoreau himself was sent to jail for “refusing to pay a poll tax, on the ground that tax supported the war effort and therefore, the extension of slavery” and yet he encouraged many Americans citizens to stop paying their poll tax because he believed by doing this the American people will be sending a stronger message to the government than just by simply voting. For the reason that if people did pay their poll than those people are in essence supportive of the American government, the Mexican-American war and slavery. His essay influenced many civil rights leaders and encouraged many American citizens to demand what they deserved. His essay made a tremendous impact on my Americans lives and still to this…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Susan B. Anthony's Suffrage Movement
    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Susan B. Anthony's Suffrage Movement

    Leafing through more than 200 years of American history reveals that civil disobedience has roots dating back to before the founding of our democratic republic. Beginning with the Stamp Act of 1765, American colonists had openly disobeyed laws that they considered unconstitutional, refusing to oblige to any of Britain’s partisan orders. Standing against all odds, these colonists established one of democracy’s core principle: citizens should actively oppose laws they consider…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From A Birmingham Jail
    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From A Birmingham Jail

    Civil disobedience, which means breaking a law and accepting the consequences knowingly, is a positive way to advocate for change. King was living in an era of extreme racism and segregation. By protesting these inequalities and pointing out the horrible acts that were being committed, specifically in Birmingham, King paved the way for reform to take place and for unjust…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Civil Disobedience: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And David Thoreau
    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Civil Disobedience: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And David Thoreau

    Civil Disobedience Civil Disobedience is the refusal to obey any laws, taxes, or any fines without any violent acts. From Thomas Jefferson to Dr. martin Luther King Jr to David Thoreau. Each of these was a different case, but all impacted the world in the same way. Some people believe it keeps the government in check and others believe it shows defiance to the law. Many people like Thoreau believed that unjust laws existed and that the government needed improvement.…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Leibman's Argument Against Civil Disobedience
    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Leibman's Argument Against Civil Disobedience

    Civil disobedience provides a path to revolutionary change for those most desperately put under the knife of oppression. Defying the laws of social injustice produces a society that favors dissenting voices and decomposes the structure that promotes injustice. Rosa Parks, a revolutionary forced into submission by the racist Jim Crow laws of the south led her battle over equality and freedom through none other than civil disobedience. It was her act of defiance to surrender her seat to a white man that molded her figure into one fighting for justice and reform. Evaluating her actions…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail
    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

    Throughout history, civil disobedience has helped societies grow and accept social reforms. The case of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, is an important formal written statement for the need of social change. Civil disobedience has been a useful leveraging tactic in ways to draw attention to the perceived injustice. The injustice can be defined by the mistreatment of laws on people. In other words, unjust laws.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Rosa Parks Involvement In Civil Disobedience
    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rosa Parks Involvement In Civil Disobedience

    Civil Rights Activist, Rosa Parks once said, “People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically... No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in” (Rosa Brainy). Rosa Parks’ involvement in civil disobedience was due to personal influences, she chose to participate in civil disobedience to protest bus segregation laws, and she did achieve success using this controversial method of standing up for what she strongly believes to be right. (Definition) Civil Disobedience is a type of protest where opposers deliberately transgress a law.…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Why Is Civil Disobedience Still Relevant Today
    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Is Civil Disobedience Still Relevant Today

    Henry David Thoreau once said, in his article “Civil Disobedience,” that “All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.” When he stated this, Thoreau was writing in regard to civil disobedience and his refusal to pay taxes in protest of slavery and the government’s involvement in the Mexican-American War. Civil disobedience can refer to disobeying laws that are thought to be unjust or to using peaceful protests, demonstrations, sit-ins, and other measures to bring attention to significant issues. Thoreau’s statement is still relevant to the world today. Society can use acts of civil disobedience to change laws that are inequitable.…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Civil Disobedience Unjust
    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Civil Disobedience Unjust

    Civil Disobedience is the right of a person to oppose a law that one believes is unjust. This is a right of an individual because their actions are a result of their feeling as though a law or regulation isn't just or fair. By peacefully opposing such a law, this person may positively influence a free society, as a demonstration of one's personal beliefs and standing up for their rights. As Rosa Parks stated, "You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right", people are encouraged to stand against laws that go against their personal beliefs of justice and equality. The U.S. Constitution supports a freedom of speech, enabling an individual to believe in and state whatever they wish.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Civil Disobedience And The Civil Rights Movement
    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Civil Disobedience And The Civil Rights Movement

    The denotative meaning of civil disobedience is the refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something. That "something" is usually a law or policy; but, in reality, how effective is civil disobedience by everyday citizens? Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? The answer is not as clear cut as one might think; indeed, the results of civil disobedience are oftentimes subjective. On December 1, 1955, 42 year old Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus to a white man.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Compare John Rawl's Deontological Approach To Social Justice
    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare John Rawl's Deontological Approach To Social Justice

    Although both John Rawls and Martha Nussbaum are considered respected philosophers, their approaches to the theory of social justice differ immensely. In this paper, I will demonstrate the flaws and strong points of their approaches to social justice and determine which is more persuasive. More specifically, I will analyze Rawls’s social contract type approach to Nussbaum’s proposed “Capabilities Approach” and directly apply them to the issue of people with disabilities. Lastly, I intend to present a personal opinion on these two theories of social justice based on my ethical framework.…

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Comparing John Rawls And John Stuart Mill's Theory Of Justice
    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Comparing John Rawls And John Stuart Mill's Theory Of Justice

    In Rawls’ Theory of Justice, he thinks of Justice as Fairness. Rawls’ thinks the distribution or redistribution of goods is fair, in my opinion, this would depend upon the situation. It’s also stated in Justice as Fairness that “Justice should not be based on Luck of Birth”. Another exert in his text states that the “Veil of Ignorance guarantees that justice will be achieved by the least well-off”. Although some of the things Rawl’s speaks of in his Theory of Justice could possibly be achieved, I beg to differ.…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings