Unjust Laws
Are we morally obliged to obey even unjust laws? Think about what this means. This means that laws, regardless of how unfair, unjust, or immoral they may be, must be followed with no better reason that they are the law. To the thesis that we are obliged to obey even unjust laws, I will argue that the standard objections to Civil Disobedience, given by Singer, are incorrect
To begin, however, I believe it is necessary to define an "unjust" law. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, "Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust." (King, 3) According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority compels a minority group to obey, but does not make binding on itself." (King, 4)
The definition I will take is a combination of these two. I define an unjust law as one that degrades human personality through the unfair suffering of a minority group at the hands of a majority group. Keep in mind......
View the rest of this paper...
Approximate Word Count: 1720
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)
Why should you join Frat Files?
- - It's safe, secure, and private.
- - Instant access to over 100,000 papers. New papers are added hourly.
- - Fast and reliable customer support.
Similar Essays
-
Unjust Laws And Civil Disobedience
Unjust Laws And Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is a form of protest in which protestors deliberately violate a law. Classically, they violate the law they are protesting,
-
Unjust Laws
Unjust laws Are we morally obliged to obey even unjust laws? Think about what this means. This means that laws, regardless of how unfair, unjust, or immoral they may be, must be
-
Just And Unjust Laws
Just and Unjust Laws Jon Eric Hoffman Foundations of Liberal Arts Dr. Kim Jenkins December 13, 2004 Just and Unjust Laws The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines unjust as
-
King Vs Thoreau
civil disobedience, when enacted for the correct reasons, was a useful tool to fight unjust laws. Dr. King gives guidelines and criteria for deciding if a law is just or
-
Passive Resistance
Passive Resistance ABOUT PASSIVE RESISTANCE There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Everyone has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely,
Frat Files
Members
Information
© 2009 FratFiles.com.