Civil Disobedience

Definition

Civil disobedience is the act of deliberately disobeying a law or government directive, usually for moral or political reasons. It involves non-violent resistance as a means of protesting injustice and effecting change within a political system.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Civil disobedience is often used as a means of challenging the legitimacy of a government or political system when legal and democratic channels for change are perceived as ineffective.
2. Practitioners of civil disobedience, such as Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi, have argued that individuals have a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws.
3. The success of civil disobedience campaigns often depends on the ability to garner public support and draw attention to the injustice being protested.
4. While civil disobedience is generally a non-violent form of resistance, it may still result in legal consequences, such as fines or imprisonment, for those who participate.
5. The concept of civil disobedience is closely linked to theories of political legitimacy and the social contract between citizens and the state.

Review Questions

• Explain how the concept of civil disobedience relates to the idea of political legitimacy.
  • Civil disobedience challenges the legitimacy of a government or political system when it is perceived as unjust or unresponsive to the will of the people. By deliberately disobeying laws or directives, civil disobedience protesters assert that the government has violated the social contract and forfeited its right to demand obedience from citizens. This undermines the government's political legitimacy and can be a powerful tool for effecting change within the system.
• Describe the role of moral obligation in the justification of civil disobedience.
  • Proponents of civil disobedience often argue that individuals have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws, even if they are legally sanctioned. This moral obligation stems from the belief that there are higher moral principles, such as justice, equality, or human rights, that supersede the authority of the state. By engaging in civil disobedience, individuals are asserting their moral autonomy and refusing to be complicit in perpetuating injustice, even at the risk of facing legal consequences.
• Analyze the potential outcomes and limitations of civil disobedience as a means of political change.
  • The success of civil disobedience campaigns in effecting political change depends on a variety of factors, including the ability to garner public support, the severity of the injustice being protested, and the willingness of the government to respond with restraint. While civil disobedience can be a powerful tool for challenging the status quo, it also carries risks, such as legal consequences for participants and the potential for escalation into violence. Additionally, the long-term impact of civil disobedience may be limited if the underlying political and social structures that enable injustice are not fundamentally transformed.

Related terms

Passive Resistance: A form of non-violent civil disobedience that involves refusing to cooperate with an unjust system without using physical force.

Non-violent Direct Action: Tactics used in civil disobedience that directly challenge an unjust law or policy through non-violent means, such as sit-ins, boycotts, or blocking access.

Moral Obligation: The belief that individuals have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws and engage in civil disobedience to uphold higher moral principles.