Civil Obedience

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that people who cannot distinguish between civil obedience and blind obedience to authority can have a huge negative impact on society. The author points out that, when people do not obey the laws, anarchy is created and there is a total lack of organization and control. The paper relates that sometimes obeying authority can get out of hand and become too much, such as a police state, when a country's government uses police to exercise strict or oppressive control over the population, denying citizens their civil freedom as in the case of Germany during Hitler.

From the Paper:

"As a free thinking society, we also learn when we should not obey authority. The idea of having to obey authority is ingrained in our minds at a very young age. We were always taught to obey and respect our parents, teachers, and other family members. If you want to show them respect and show them that you care, you behave in accordance with their rules and regulations. Learning to show respect to those of a higher authority at such a young age is how we develop into respectful adults. A parent's failure to teach the values of obedience and respect for others is failure on their part to help us grow up to be respectful, obedient people. This can lead to negative results in our future when we have to start being sociable and work with others in school, in the work force, and all other aspects of our everyday lives."

More papers on Civil Obedience:

• Argumentative Essay # 91230 : "Civil Obedience in the "Crito"
• Comparison Essay # 50608 : "Civil Obedience and Moral Freedom in Political Thinking"
• Essay # 46017 : "Socrates, Obedience and the Law"

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