Why Is Civil Disobedience Important In A Free Society

A free society often consists of fundamental principles such as citizen participation in the legal system, tolerance for the diverse spectrum of values and identities inherent in that society, and a commitment to upholding civil liberties. Where civil disobedience is concerned, its opposition of the current establishment has much potential in its sheer capacity to cause change. While it may bring about positive change, it does so at the expense of potentially disrupting the order that a free society necessitates. However, what both proponents and critics of peaceful resistance generally overlook is that that retaliation is a response to the flawed structural facets of a society but not necessarily to that society as a whole. In this context, civil disobedience has an overall positive impact in a free society when it reflects the popular consensus of a nation to revise detrimental legislation while adhering to the core values of equality. …show more content…
directed the Montgomery bus boycott in response to Rosa Park’s arrest. This peaceful resistance was effective because using alternative forms of commute (i.e. walking, biking, carpools), was not only perfectly legal, but had a well-defined objective. Rather than remain fixated on addressing the entire system of segregation, this boycott was a response to a specific application that system- hence how well coordinated it was. A little over a year after the boycott, the Supreme Court declared segregated buses illegal in 1956. In essence, not only did this have palpable effects, but in the process rendered any potential negative implications