Civil Disobedience Essay Examples

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Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience can be a touchy subject for some, but it is a topic that needs to be addressed, not ignored. This country was founded on the knowledge that laws, if declared unjust by the people, could be protested and with the gain of enough support, overthrown. The Founding Fathers saw that on certain things and at certain times, a government may become corrupted, unconnected with its people, or just simply stuck in their ways. There are many examples of all of these circumstances that can be observed throughout history and in modern times. For example, if civil disobedience was in favor of rights, such as group rights, like that of the civil rights movement, or individual rights, like that of Kim Davis, they are a positive for democracy; however, if they are in service of pet causes and not related to rights, such as it was with the case of the Dakota Pipeline, it is a negative for democracy. One of the most well known examples of civil disobedience is that of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. They used such means as …show more content…
The pipeline has been protested for quite some time as being wrong for going through a tribe's sacred ground. However in this case, instead of logical thoughts and honest truth being the primary objective, these have instead given way to the mob-rule way of thinking which creates a hole in a persons mind of although no rights are being trampled upon, there is still protest because of the human desire to always get what we want. It also shows the human nature of the constant need to disagree and fight, and though this trait could be good, even helpful at times it can be harmful when carried over to issues where it is not necessary, such as this. This type of civil disobedience shows that when conducted in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons, it can be harmful to

Civil Disobedience Essay example

pay taxes, the objection to cast a vote, and the rejection of personal property are all declarations of disapproval directed to an unjust government. The people of any unfair system are obligated to tailor their government through relentless civil disobedience or rebellion. For the sake of the governed, immediate action, or lack of action, must be taken when a government deviates from its course. It is not a man’s duty to eliminate any wrong, but he must not participate in any wrongdoing. With such…

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Civil Disobedience: A Breach Of Law

Background Since Thoreau introduced the term ‘civil disobedience’, it has been the guideline of many resistance movements and an important mechanism for social change (Brownlee, Kimberley 2013). According to John Rawls, ‘civil disobedience is a public, non-violent and conscientious breach of law…’ (Rawls 1971). But this definition raises many questions. Given that ‘civil disobedience’ is defined as ‘a breach of law’, how can we tell acts of civil disobedience from ‘ordinary’ illegal acts, if not impossible…

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Civil Disobedience In Julius Caesar

provoked determining actions to be taken by the conspirators. According to Thoreau’s essay On Civil Disobedience, an action can be considered “civil disobedience” if it follows general criteria. One component of civil disobedience is communication. Cassius wrote letters with false messages in order to persuade Brutus into the participation of Caesar's murder. Cassius used false evidence to gain a man’s participation, an example of dishonest communication. “Don’t worry. Good Cinna, take this paper and be…

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Civil Disobedience Rhetorical Analysis

Civil Disobedience is an essay that caused great controversy in the past and the present, mainly because of its appeal against government system. The essay was written by Henry David Thoreau, a transcendentalist surveyor who opposed government through the use of pasivist methods. He wrote the essay during the 1800s, a period of great discontent for society, he was known for criticizing everything around him and characterized by his pessimism and hopelessness towards mankind. Much alike biblical beliefs…

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The Boston Tea Party: An Analysis

governmental structure, civil disobedience can become an invaluable tool. Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts…

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Shooting An Elephant Rhetorical Analysis

Essays, no matter the subject, have certain elements within them that make their argument objectively better than another. This is no more true than with the works of George Orwell and Henry David Thoreau. Their writings, (Shooting an Elephant and Civil Disobedience respectively), show this concept extremely well, as even though both pieces of literature focus around ethical decisions, one is unequivocally more poignant to their audience. The use of style is a big part of any form of writing, which…

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United States Peaceful Protest

We the Students Essay Contest Protest plays a crucial role in how are society creates and interprets law. The founding fathers new this including the right to a peaceful protest of a law, otherwise known as civil disobedience. Some of the biggest turning points in the history of the United States have come from peaceful protest. There would not be equal rights without protest, there would not be environmental standards without protest, and without protest, important issues sometimes are not addressed…

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Thoreau's Role In Civil Disobedience

Africans as the majority of the population, much worse. Gandhi, like Thoreau, was arrested for nonviolent protest against unjust laws. Gandhi read Thoreau's essay, "Civil Disobedience". It encouraged him to not give up, even when the challenges seemed much too hard to deal with. Gandhi dedicated his entire life to nonviolence and civil disobedience for a change in the…

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Civil Disobedience And Rousseau's Analysis

of the governed” –– as highlighted by John Locke, then by Jean Jacques Rousseau and again by Henry David Thoreau in his essay “Civil Disobedience.” Since the government’s power originates from the people, it’s only natural to assume that the people must be allowed to “petition the government for a redress of grievances,” as stated in the First Amendment. What is civil disobedience other than an effort to petition the government in a…

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Civil Disobedience Controversy

despotic rulers to contemporary civil rights movements opposing institutionalized discrimination. This demonstrates the natural human spirit of perseverance and the desire for a more just and equitable society. Disobedience has served as both a catalyst for productive change, but also a flashpoint for controversy. These points of controversy concerning both intelligent and civil disobedience raise the questions of the productivity of disobedience. Ultimately, disobedience may promote great, positive…

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