Civil disobedience
Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience (pronunciation: /ˈsɪv.ɪl dɪsˈoʊ.biː.di.əns/) is a form of protest in which people deliberately and publicly violate laws considered to be unjust.
Etymology
The term "civil disobedience" was coined by American author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau in his 1849 essay of the same name. The word "civil" is derived from the Latin civis, meaning "citizen", while "disobedience" comes from the Old French desobeir, meaning "to refuse to obey".
Definition
Civil disobedience is a nonviolent form of protest that involves deliberately breaking the law in order to draw attention to, and bring about change in, laws or policies deemed to be unjust or unethical. It is often characterized by a willingness to accept legal consequences as a means of demonstrating the injustice of the law.
Related Terms
- Nonviolent resistance: A strategy for social change that involves the use of nonviolent methods to protest against injustice.
- Direct action: A form of political activism that seeks to confront and challenge power structures directly, often through illegal means.
- Passive resistance: A form of nonviolent protest that involves refusing to comply with laws or demands without actively resisting them.
- Civil rights: The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.
Examples
Historical examples of civil disobedience include the Salt March led by Mahatma Gandhi in India in 1930, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the United States in 1955-56, and the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989.
See Also
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