Unjust Laws In Antigone

Antigone Essay

When unjust laws exist, it is up to us for to decide if we are satisfied to be under such obedience or if we should either go beyond the bounds of moral principle if we find it to be a justifiable reason. Many, such as Henry David Thoreau, express that we should rather put our priorities in front and break an unjust law for it is the fault of an inequitable government who should provide for reform. If the law is unjust to such an extent, then we should go beyond and disobey that law. The boundaries of law should not be followed if it comes to the point if we wonder if we are treated as humans or subjects.We are loyal to the government, but if the government is not loyal to us, then we should take it as an leeway to break the law. We break the law, knowing that there will be consequences afterwards and that we should willingly accept the discipline, following civil disobedience. We break the law, knowing that whatever consequence we face is better than obeying the

People such as Martin Luther King Jr, and Henry David Thoreau took Sophocles's works as an influence over their own publications and actions. In “On The Duty of Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau writes, “They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil.” He argues that it is the fault of an unjust government rather than unjust people when rules are broken and blames are placed. MLK Jr. also writes, “An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” He explains that if the law degrades a person, such as Creon forbidding Polyneices to be buried, then such rule should not be followed, as Antigone willing chose