Civil Disobedience: Mahatmas Gandhi & Term Paper

.. becomes unjust" (Lincoln 158). Here, King is referring to the Civil Rights movement and its non-violent protest which in the minds of the lawmakers disrupted and desegregated society by allowing blacks to interrelate with the Southern majority who keenly believed in the separation of the races. In addition, King brings his argument against unjust laws full circle by declaring "One who breaks an unjust law must do it openly, lovingly... And with a willingness to accept the penalty" (Lincoln 159), meaning that a "lawbreaker" must have the right state of mind when disobeying an unjust law and must firmly believe that he/she is doing the proper thing for the good of all. Thus, King's application of civil disobedience was a necessary thing for his people, for without it they might have never gained the freedoms that they possess today.

In conclusion, it is clear that civil disobedience as applied by Gandhi and Dr. King worked far better than they had ever hoped, for this form of anti-establishment activity freed Gandhi's people from bondage and greatly aided Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement. However, such activity has the potential to backfire, especially when the adversary is the dominant force in society, such as with Great Britain and the U.S. government.In essence, civil disobedience is a mandatory thing in a free society, for justice must be available to all or no one is secure in a democratic society. Conversely, I feel that civil disobedience could led to complete anarchy, for when disobedience is ungoverned or uncontrolled by a leader such as Gandhi or King, it could very easily spiral out of control and bring chaos instead of change.

Bibliography

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Clement, Catherine. Gandhi: Father of a Nation. UK: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1996.

Fischer, Louis. The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. New York: Harper and Row, 1983.

Lincoln, C. Eric. Martin Luther King: A Profile. New York: Hill & Wang, 1970.

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