What Is Moral Disobedience?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Disobedience is a state of deliberate refusal to follow a regulation or law . Disobedience may refer to State or religious laws and tenets. ... The absence of trust in government will result in moral arguments being raised in private and public spheres against the immoral state [3].

Is disobedience a moral responsibility?

“One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws . Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. ... Civil disobedience is morally acceptable when the laws of a state (a nation) are immoral or unjust.

Is civil disobedience moral?

Therefore, a more appropriate definition is that civil disobedience is a public act that deliberately contravenes a law, that is publicly-performed, and that occurs in awareness that an arrest and a penalty are likely. ... Thus, civil disobedience may be morally justified , even in a democracy.

What is civil disobedience ethics?

At a minimum, civil disobedience involves disobeying the law for the purpose of political participation , for example, expressing one’s disapproval of a government policy or calling attention to a legally permissible injustice as part of an effort to remedy it.

Why is civil disobedience morally justified?

Civil disobedience in a democracy is not morally justified because it poses an unacceptable threat to the rule of law . In a democracy, minority groups have basic rights and alternatives to civil disobedience. as freedoms of speech, press, association, and religion.

Is civil disobedience a crime?

Civil disobedience is a symbolic or ritualistic violation of the law rather than a rejection of the system as a whole. ... It is because acts associated with civil disobedience are considered crimes , however, and known by actor and public alike to be punishable, that such acts serve as a protest.

What are the three types of civil disobedience?

  • Sabotage of trade and business activity. Actions include disrupting trade, boycotts of products and deliberate damaging of goods. ...
  • Labour resistance. ...
  • Breaking unfair laws.

What does one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws?

Civil disobedience refers to the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violence. One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ... ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

What did Martin Luther King Jr mean by just and unjust laws?

“A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law ,” King responded. “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.

What does Thoreau suggest is worse than disobeying an unjust law?

He disagreed with other American people who believed the majority should change the law first because it is a worse thing to disobey the law than to do what an unjust law says to do. Thoreau wrote that breaking the unjust laws is better: “Break the law. ... However, Thoreau did not think people should be criminals.

Why is civil disobedience good?

Non-violent civil disobedience is effective because it emphasizes a group’s proposed injustice within an institution, while directly appealing to the different ethical systems of individual citizens.

Why is civil disobedience bad?

Civil disobedience is negative , where we require affirmative processes. We must insist that men use their minds and not their biceps. But, while the emphasis must be on the three R’s of reason, responsibility, and respect, we cannot accept self-righteousness, complacency, and noninvolvement.

What is the purpose of Thoreau’s civil disobedience?

Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience espouses the need to prioritize one’s conscience over the dictates of laws . It criticizes American social institutions and policies, most prominently slavery and the Mexican-American War.

Is it OK to disobey unjust laws?

In short, if anybody ever has a right to break the law, this cannot be a legal right under the law. It has to be a moral right against the law. And this moral right is not an unlimited right to disobey any law which one regards as unjust.

What are some examples of unjust laws today?

  • Money Bail.
  • Private Bail Companies.
  • Suspended Drivers Licenses.
  • Excessive Mandatory Minimum Sentences.
  • Wealth-Based Banishment That Outlaws Low-Income Housing.
  • Private Probation Abuses.
  • Parking Tickets to Debtors’ Prison.
  • Sex Offense Registration Laws.

Are we morally obliged to obey an unjust law Why?

King says that we have a moral responsibility to obey just laws, and a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. That’s how we expand freedom . ... One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.