Preview

Oscar Wilde Is An Example Of Civil Disobedience

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
572 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oscar Wilde Is An Example Of Civil Disobedience
In Irish 1891, Oscar Wilde, stated, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is a man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Wilde’s purpose of his claim is to remind mankind that disobedience is not always foul when fighting for a constitutional right and for the good of mankind. Imagine how unfair the world would be if we didn’t have the courage to stand up for the rights we believed in. Oscar Wilde’s claim is completely valid, without disobedience and rebellion, progress may not have been made. Two key examples of civil disobedience that has progressively changed the world is Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.

An example of civil disobedience,
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Letter From A Birmingham Jail By Rev. Martin Luther King
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Summary Of Letter From A Birmingham Jail By Rev. Martin Luther King

    After reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time for this essay, I realized what true civil disobedience was. Rev. King understood that his…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    James A. Baldwin's Use Of Civil Disobedience In The United States
    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages

    James A. Baldwin's Use Of Civil Disobedience In The United States

    James A. Baldwin, an American novelist and social critic, stated that, “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” The right to stand against our country and protest against what’s wrong makes us powerful diverse people. We, the American people, are in charge of our country and we must make her forever progressive and right. Part of this forward motion is civil disobedience. Civil disobedience was used to create our nation, exercise our civilian powers, and is still used today to eradicate benighted ideas and laws.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau
    • 218 Words
    • 1 Page

    Civil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau

    Henry David Thoreau civil disobedience explains the vital reason why there is need to prioritize one's conscience over any requirements of the law. Therefore, he provides a strong view on the need to be quite sure of actions that are undertaken by individuals as opposed to the assumptions that are based on the law. Henry's sentiments, therefore, provides significant criticisms on the American social institutions and policies that were mainly seeking to promote slavery at the time while completely knowing that their actions were not good.…

    • 218 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Why Does Ida B. Wells Fight For Racial Equality?
    • 2786 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Why Does Ida B. Wells Fight For Racial Equality?

    Henry David Thoreau, in his essay, civil disobedience, argues that when a person is not in comfort with the government, then we have a right as humans to act against its injustice. Thoreau supports his argument by first stating that unjust laws exist and that we shall endeavor to amend them instead of being content to obey them. His purpose is to inform the reader about the way they are being mistreated by government and to persuade them to act against their injustices in a civil disobedient way inn order to see the government acting up more rapidly and systematically. Thoreau establishes a critical and righteous tone for those who are against…

    • 2786 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Disobedience Emerson Analysis
    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Civil Disobedience Emerson Analysis

    In the two essays “Self Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience, written Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau respectively, the two 19th century transcendentalists speak about what it means to be an individual and how society can be changed for the better. While both authors stress the need for nonconformity and individuality, the essays differ on the details.…

    • 327 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis
    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

    Martin Luther King, Jr’s message in “A Letter From Birmingham Jail” and Henry David Thoreau’s in “Civil Disobedience” are similar with minor differences. Both men agree it is a citizen’s duty to disobey an unjust law. King and Thoreau equally manifested their ability to protest by taking a peaceful approach, also accepting the repercussions that followed. King and Thoreau are prime examples on whether one is bound to always obey the law is increasingly important during periods of grossly immoral legislation and unjust institutions. King and Thoreau believe it is a citizen’s duty to navigate through legislature with their moral compass, however Thoreau does not believe…

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Bill Of Rights Synthesis Essay
    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Bill Of Rights Synthesis Essay

    Therefore, peaceful protests only effectuate change when the participants are lawful and accepting of consequences. Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and Nelson Mandela are examples of participants who used civil disobedience to leave an impression. Gandhi adopted ideas from Henry David Thoreau’s, 'On the Duty of Civil Disobedience', to shape his approach to obstruct corruption. During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. constantly promoted peace and justice to the nation, despite the vulnerable position he held. Nelson Mandela also acted upon Thoreau’s ideas when he attempted to end the apartheid in South Africa. Each of these three activists successfully effectuated modifications to their country’s government. However, if participants were to resist legislation without accepting the repercussions, it would promote anarchy. Without legal cooperation, their actions would represent utter lawlessness. The government of a free society is designed to consider its people’s best interests, so why would it be effective to bite the hand that feeds? When individuals do not accept consequences associated with resistance, they obstruct the necessary mutual respect between the individual and the state. Without which the purpose of resistance would be insignificant, as the authority would have no desire to cooperate with the…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Thoreau's Role In Civil Disobedience
    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Thoreau's Role In Civil Disobedience

    It becomes a kind of despotism where we seek to silence rather than engage.” Civil disobedience is a necessary part of free society, as it provides an avenue from which all people can make themselves heard, regardless of political power or economic status. Furthermore, it is necessary to keep the spirit of the first amendment alive, as peaceful protest is a way in which people exercise their right to free speech; without peaceful resistance to laws, little progress would be made in a free society, and the views of the majority would be imposed on the rest of the population. Acting as a catalyst for change, peaceful resistance one ingredient of the recipe that drives a free nation towards growth and…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Thoreau's Theory Of Civil Disobedience
    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Thoreau's Theory Of Civil Disobedience

    In 1968, close to 50 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed by an assassin's bullet. He had given us a decade of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience during the civil rights movement of the 1950’s. While the idea of nonviolent protest was still relatively new, MLK hadn’t invented it; he had been one of a few who pioneered the idea and made it popular. The theory of civil disobedience can be traced back to an essay by Henry David Thoreau by the same name. This theory was adopted and popularized by Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and eventually, Martin Luther King, Jr.. In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau said that if a law “requires you to be the agent of injustice to another,” you should break that law, rather than be unjust to another person.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Henry Thoreau's Civil Disobedience
    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Henry Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    Henry Thoreau developed many ideas throughout his lifetime that have been highly influential for many years. Perhaps the most famous of these ideas were those presented in Civil Disobedience. Within this text, Thoreau presents highly unconventional ideas for his time. These ideas, however, lead to many of the ideals held by Americans today. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau presents the ideals and attitudes embodied by so many American citizens today.…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Does Democracy Cause Civil Disobedience?
    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Does Democracy Cause Civil Disobedience?

    Some argue that civil disobedience represents a genuine cause, but reject the methods of direct action simply as disruptive, immoral, and an illegal standard to combat inequality. Civil disobedience is stigmatized to be corrupt and ineffective; however, I believe these labels do no justice to the cause the act of civil disobedience embodies. Unfortunately, the reality becomes a simple and cruel true: Justice prolonged is justice denied. Not everyone is granted the luxury of timely inalienable rights. Had it not been for those who protested and engaged in the Boston Tea Party how long would have the conversation or much less the American Revolution been delayed? Had it not been for Rosa Parks and the countless others who engaged in civil disobedience how long would it have been before society was desegregated at the choice of the oppressor? When one engages in peaceful civil disobedience, one is given the platform to address the…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil Disobedience Transcendentalism
    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Civil Disobedience Transcendentalism

    Peaceful resistance to rules and regulations among society goes down historically as something so inevitably iconic as an occurrence known as civil disobedience. It is no doubt that civil disobedience, the act of opposing a law deemed unjust and peacefully disobeying it henceforth, spurs such great controversy in our society. Civil disobedience impacts society in a positive manner that does not hinder nor deteriorate the good name of the just nation that is home, but moreover poses as an influence for what is better accepted by humans as lawful.…

    • 799 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Disobedience To Progressive Change
    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Disobedience To Progressive Change

    This disobedience to reach progressive change can be seen throughout history. People like Rosa Parks stood up for a cause by being disobedient towards the racist laws at play. When Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus, she was jailed but her peaceful protest gave rise to the cause of segregation. This was a big issue at this time but…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Martin Luther King Disobedience
    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay On Martin Luther King Disobedience

    “Disobedience,” the word has different connotations. Many people have disobeyed throughout the course of their life, considering that rebellion is a natural human instinct. This refusal to obey is a trait that cannot suppress, especially in the fight for correct human rights.…

    • 553 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Civil Disobedience Important
    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Is Civil Disobedience Important

    It took years for rights to be expanded to others. One of the greatest examples of civil disobedience to allow for the expansion of civil rights is through Martin Luther King Jr.'s history of protesting segregation against black people. In my early education, I was aware of King's importance to civil rights but never understood what he had to go through in order to create a change. By being introduced to Letter from a Birmingham Jail in high school, I finally recognized that before he had a dream of equality King had to have the action of protest. Throughout his letter, he emphasizes the distinction between just and unjust laws. As King states, "An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law" (King, 1963). Americans must understand that civil disobedience should only be exemplified when there is a moral purpose behind the desire for…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics