If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so .
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 does it mean to disobey an unjust law?
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.
Who said do not obey an unjust law?
“One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Read more quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.
Are unjust laws laws?
An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law . To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. ... Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.”
What is an unjust law example?
Unjust laws in these systems are those laws that treat some people unfairly, often due to prejudices that were rampant when the law was made. Examples of laws considered unjust in many areas might include those relating to keeping slaves or those that treat women differently than men .
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.
What is the difference between a just law and unjust law?
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 . To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas : An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.
What is an unjust law according to King?
“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.
How do you know if a law is unjust?
Any law that forbids transparency, and thereby attempts to compel, coerce or manipulate a responsible adults by withholding facts , OR any law that allows one person to control the actions of another (when those actions do no direct harm) is an unjust law.
What should a citizen do about an unjust law?
What should a citizen do about an unjust law? “ If it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of an injustice to another, then, I say, break the law .” “If one honest man... ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership...it would be the abolition of slavery in America.”
Are we morally obligated to obey an unjust law?
Martin Luther King, Jr.: We have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Today is Martin Luther King Jr. ... King says that we have a moral responsibility to obey just laws , and a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
What does the Bible say about obeying unjust laws?
The Bible speaks decisively to this issue. Romans 13:1-2 says: “Obey the government, for God is the One who has put it there. ... So those who refuse to obey the law of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. “
What does an unjust law is no law at all?
An unjust law is no law at all, in Latin Lex injusta non est lex, is an expression of natural law, acknowledging that authority is not legitimate unless it is good and right . It has become a standard legal maxim around the world.
What conditions make a law unjust?
Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just . Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.
What are some 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.
