The Occupy-Wall Street Movement

Civil disobedience can be described and defined as many different issues occurring. The main definition of civil disobedience is defined as public, nonviolent, conscientious yet political acts contrary to the law usually done with the aim of bringing about a change in the law or policies of government. The campaign I am going to be discussing is known as the Occupy Wall Street Movement campaign. I will also be using information and examples from the reading of Plato’s Crito as well as the reading from Albert Camus’s The Just Assassins. By using these two readings it will either help me to justify or unjustify the Occupy Wall Street Movement campaign. I am going to argue that this movement can be justified because of the certain things that …show more content…
This movement had taken place by many people who were upset with what was going on. A few of the issues that were brought up in this campaign were social and economic inequality, greed, and corruption. The Occupy Wall Street Movement can be considered as civil disobedience because it an event that took place where all of the individuals were taking part in an event that was not right. It was not right because they were taking over places that were private property as well as buildings and offices that had nothing to do with the campaign. The definition that fits with the Occupy Wall Street Movement campaign can be defined as the refusal to obey certain laws or governmental demands for the purpose of influencing legislation or government policy, characterized by the employment of such nonviolent techniques as boycotting, picketing, and nonpayment of taxes. This definition fits the campaign because it explains exactly what civil disobedience is, which goes extremely well with the Occupy Wall Street Movement …show more content…
The reason for this is because within the reading from Plato it talks about how Crito thinks it is wrong for Socrates to refuse to escape from prison. Plato’s Crito talks a lot about laws and how they can either be followed or not be followed. This point about the law relates back to the Occupy Wall Street movement campaign because there are certain laws that the individuals in this group were not following as well as certain rules that could be broken. With everyone not listening to the rules and following them it led to individuals getting arrested, beaten, and locked up, which is similar to what had happened in Plato’s Crito. Another point that comes from this reading that can be related back to the movement and whether civil disobedience is justified is Socrates view of the state. He follows and knows all of the rules that apply to him because he has lived in Athens for so long. This relates back because with the movement everyone knows all of the rules of where they are allowed to be, but just chose not to follow some of them which got a few individuals into some