Obeying Unjust Laws

Essay # 23998

Law > Civil
Philosophy > Ethics
Philosophy > History

Obeying Unjust Laws

An analysis of the philosophy of non-violent protest and civil disobedience.

2,631 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper is a philosophical discussion on non-violent protest and civil disobedience. It looks at Rousseau, King, Gandhi, Thoreau, and Jesus as models and uses examples from their writings and teachings. The paper is broken down into the views of each philosophical approach. It explains what civil disobedience is and how and when it should be applied. It also goes into what an unjust law truly is and how it affects a society.

From the Paper:

"It is important to touch base on what a law is before classifying a specific law as just or unjust. In its purest form a law is rules established by a governing authority to institute and maintain an orderly coexistence. Law has a very deep rooted history in our society and can be divided up into many different branches; mainly: natural law, public law, private or civil law, and law of nations. However the importance of each of these difference branches of law come down to one form of scrutiny; are these laws just or unjust? When a law is unjust what are the appropriate actions one must take, if any at all? How can one tell if a law is unjust? Philosophy can help answer those ever so important questions that are posed when an unjust law is present in a society. Many writings and opinions will be discussed and a conclusion will be reached after a complete overview has been made."