John Rawls Justification Of Civil Disobedience

According to John Rawls, civil disobedience is a public, non-violent, and conscientious act contrary to law usually done with the intent to bring about a change in the policies or laws of the government. A political act in the sense that it is an act justified by moral principles which define a conception of civil society and the public good.” (Rawls, 1992) It refers to a professed and meanwhile an active rejection to comply with demands, commands or laws and legislation of government. Rawls also defines “civil disobedience” with basic features that it is a public, non-violent political act contrary to law usually done with the aim to strive for a change under the laws or policies by the government.

Bedau claims that the occasion for civil disobedience arises when people are asked to obey laws or government policies which they consider to be unjust or immoral”. (Bedau,1991) Civil disobedience can be morally justified under what circumstances? There are four conditions of justified civil disobedience according to Rawls’ justification of civil disobedience. First, the acts of civil disobedience should be restricted to the cases where the dissenter allows anyone else subjected to similar injustices would have a right to disobey in a similar way. Second, it should usually only target substantial and

For example, if people’s action is violating the law but there intention and message are correct and not for their own individual interest but the whole society, it would be morally justified. Under different circumstance like having a correct intention and message but wrong means could still be a morally justified civil disobedience since the intention is only about making the society more just and persuade better procedural