Disobedience is an essential characteristic in this world because without it, no social progress is made. Disobedience can be viewed in a very complex manner because it is in some cases, an unhonorable and disgraceful characteristic, however, Wilde describes disobedience as an honorable attribute for someone to have when social progress is made.. Disobedience should not only be compelled, it should be mandatory. According to Wilde, disobedience is a beneficial characteristic for a person to have, a necessary evil, without it social progression cannot occur. “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue.” This is an appealing quote because disobedience is an unhonorable and disgraceful characteristic, however, Wilde describes disobedience as an honorable attribute for someone to have when social progress is made. Wilde claims “is man's original virtue” as if in order to be a “man” you must fight for what you truly believe in no matter the consequences. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, which he wrote while incarcerated for leading a protest for the treatment of African Americans in Birmingham, Alabama in which he states, “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal.” It was “illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers.”(MLK) This quote stands out …show more content…
In his quote he says that disobedience is an honorable trait, and that it is “man's original virtue.” it is good and honorable in other cases, such as in Martin Luther King Jrs’ case mentioned before. There are many other cases where it is an unhonorable characteristic. For example, disobeying a rule or guideline that is for the betterment of everyone is an honorable
Although his essay, Civil Disobedience did not turn into legislation, and did not become a founding document for the US, it was still a critical influence in guiding the developing nation into what it is today. With the help of David Thoreau, the United States was turned into a nation based around just laws and a democratic process that allowed citizen to decide the fate of their nation rather than a monarchy or dictatorship where few people determine life and laws for the many. The section analyzed was the strongest in persuading readers to keep checks on their government and to keep it in line. There is no stronger language within the rest on Civil Disobedience than “Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels.” This line gives a connection to many people during the time the essay was written by comparing their highest prophets to the type of individual the essay is convincing the reader to
Throughout all of time, people have needed to live according to their own agendas. Being forced to live a certain way has only caused trouble. That is why Henry David Thoreau supported civil disobedience to help people live according to their own beliefs. In the essay “On Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, the author defined and explained the effect of civil disobedience. Thoreau defined it as, civil disobedience is any peaceful action that demonstrates the disagreement of a person or persons with their government.
Wilde’s idea that disobedience induces progress does not accurately describe the French Revolution because the French civilians were tired of the death that was constantly around them, and were tired of the leaders that were rebelling against the monarchy to increase their standing in society. Disobedience did not help France progress because its leaders were too concerned
Martin Luther King Jr once stated, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” in his Letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963. He was invoking the principle of civil disobedience. He wasn't justifying breaking laws just because, but instead, meant that you break the law and accept your punishment, in hopes that people will come to see that the law is unethical. Civil disobedience plays an important role in how our society has been shaped up until this point.
Henry David Thoreau, an American philosopher and abolitionist, once stated, “ Disobedience is the true foundation of Liberty. The obedient must be slaves”. Thoreau asserted that disobedience is the reason America claimed it 's Liberty and those who are obedient are the Government 's slaves who don 't realize what 's around them. I acquire that Disobedience is a very important act and helps us progress and achieve goals people said were impossible, but good people didn 't listen In the 1960’s, California witnessed an unexpected Civil Rights movement inspired by Cesar Chavez.
To disobey someone is to disregard them and refuse their authority, and this in generally seen as a bad thing. People are told to listen and obey to the higher ups to avoid punishment. But, throughout history disobedience has brought about much needed change. Disobedience is often necessary to promote change and we can see this throughout America's history. From the American revolution in 1775 to the slave rebellions in the 19th century to the civil rights movement in 1954.
He explains civil disobedience as “that it is more important to develop respect for the right, rather than a respect for the law, for people’s obligations are to do what's right”. There are many different people who show civil disobedience in
Disobedience can be defined as failure or refusal to obey rules or someone in authority. Disobedience can also be defined as causing a disarray within society and causing a shift in social normals to more perfectly suit the conditions of a community at a given time, in the sense that it promotes the questions of poor social norms, and the change in our mortal standards and by the progressive though of one’s own mind. Oscar Wilde argues that it can allow society to progress and to allow science about different or certain topics to be broken or misplaced, and the way that it counter our social norms instead of disobedience leading to be a negative human and societal trait in our very way of life. He also argues about how disobedience can lead
Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey governmental laws in order to do or change something (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Sophocles’ Antigone and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” both described civil disobedience within situations which they were the oppressed. However, Antigone and King engaged in civil disobedience in different ways. Antigone chose to disobey the law solely because of her religious views, she knew that her disobedience could lead to others’ suffering, but she was unwilling to abandon her plan, and her attitude toward the people against her was crude and stubborn. King, in contrast, based his disobedience more on logical reasoning and allusions, then he proposed a nonviolent action so his disobedience would not hurt others, and he respected those who were against him with his collected tone throughout the letter.
Civil disobedience is the deliberate action against an unjust law to invoke a positive change in government and society. Civilians have the right to refute these types of unjust laws to eliminate inequality and government’s unjust nature by following conscience before laws for moral guidance. As demonstrated in Antigone, this is depicted by the daughter of Oedipus, who disobeys Creon’s law for the greater good because of the laws unjust nature. In Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, a naturalist, promotes this concept as well through his philosophical standpoint of the flaws of the government. Lastly, in Dr. King’s letter he qualifies the idea of civilians disobeying their government through non violent campaigns to stand up against
Civil Disobedience by Thoreau is the refusal to obey government demands or commands and nonresistance to consequent arrest and punishment this had an extreme effect on Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Gandhi. They were fighting for different beliefs. However they both had the same believes about civil disobedience and they both end in the same place, jail. In the first place Gandhi believed that the only way to confronted injustice was with non-violent methods.
In Erich Fromm’s “Disobedience As A Psychological And Moral Problem,” Fromm argues that most people don’t always obey their bosses, spouses, etc. He portrays that people that cannot obey, is a rebel and they feel that if they act out their anger, resentment on other people is the right thing to do; rather than obey and use the power of reason. In chronological order, he lists different examples like Adam & Eve and Prometheus; and how they handled the consequences after they disobeyed. After reading this article, I agree and disagree with the article, from personal experience with disobeying and obeying my bosses. People I have come across in my life state they feel that obeying a superior or spouse means that you are being a slave to what
Irish author Oscar Wilde claimed that disobedience is a valuable human trait, and that it promotes social progress; thus, without it, social progress would not be made. Civil disobedience is to social progress as hard work is to academic success. With hard work comes academic success, and with civil disobedience comes social progress. Though some see disobedience as a negative trait, it is what has promoted social progress in history by challenging social standards and requiring new social rules to be made. Civil disobedience challenges social standards by expanding views on the current guidelines.
As kids people get taught what is wrong and right from a parental figure or experiences of life teach us how to react to different situations. When we finally turn adults no one is there to remind us of what’s good and what's bad so we have to use our past experiences and our knowledge to help guide us. Each adult shapes their societies for their generation and many more generations to come. Mohandas k. Gandhi and Susan B Anthony’s speech along with the article Selma to Montgomery March on history show that civil disobedience is a moral responsibility.
In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau questions, “must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think we should be men first, and subjects afterward”, indicating that man should take more focus on standing up for what is right instead of conforming to what the majority is thinking or what people are being told to think by the government (Thoreau). Thoreau explains that every man has a conscience for a reason, all men are able to generate an opinion on what is right and what is wrong and that men should in a sense “man up” and fight instead of backing down to become slaves to the legislative government. Thoreau gives an example of his non-conformity in Civil Disobedience when he writes about how he stood up against the government by withholding money to pay his taxes.