Are we Ever Morally Justified in Breaking the Law?.
Is anyone ever morally justified in breaking the law? In my own opinion I believe the answer to this question is no. Human nature consists of three basic components. These are to live, breed, and to dominate. If humanity were left without any other restrictions, this natural state of existence would govern its behavior. Fortunately, there are restrictions, and they are laws. Laws are made up to maintain order, monitor actions, and work for the best interest of society as a whole. If there were no laws chaos and anarchy would be widespread. This is why society has set up governments, to maintain order and to provide safety. Civil disobedience is a common occurrence that can be traced back throughout human history. The long-standing questions that accompany civil disobedience are when is civil disobedience justified, why should you be disobedient, and what actions are morally right during civil disobedience? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Van Dusen, and Hobbes, express their views on this subject matter and propose different answers to these questions by using different rhetorical methods.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. makes a strong case for civil disobedience through strong rhetorical tactics, organized preparation, and peaceful negotiations. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. states in his letter from Birmingham Jail "We should never forget that everything Adolph Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal"." (King) King went on in his letter to say that it would be against man made law to help a Jew in Nazi Germany. What King said in his letter has to make a person think that not all laws are good for the group in society and morality is a justifiable excuse in breaking the law. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed civil disobedience, when enacted for the correct reasons, was a useful tool to fight unjust laws.