Subject:
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Re: Essay on Emerson vs. Thoreau; civil disobedience
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 29 Jan 2001 19:21:17 GMT
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Viewed:
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205 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Shiri Dori writes:
> Emerson argued with Thoreau and tried to
> convince him that acting lawfully, albeit persistently and patiently, is
> better than breaking any law, unjust as it is. Thoreau was not convinced,
> but I was.
Personally I'm gonna have to go with Chris and Lar on this one... Most of
the time, you're probably right. But it doesn't make it always so (At least
I don't think so).
My problem is two-fold:
A. If the atrocity of the law reaches certain extents, I'd feel much worse
if the laws were obeyed even once than suffer the consequences of acting
AGAINST that law, or for many people to do similarly
B. Some societies can be so static that change is quite nearly impossible.
But as always, let's push the absurd to test the theory, cause that's
usually the best way to do it. Let's say there was a law wherein you were
required to brutally kill a person's child if they mispronounced your name.
Now with a name like "David Eaton" I'm pretty safe (at least here in the
States), but let's say I had Pawel's name, for example. Now I'm in trouble.
(No offense Pawel ;) Now personally, I'd feel so mortified going around
brutally killing babies that I'd gladly take the punishment (unless, I
spose, the punishment was that the child and my own were brutally killed,
maybe... dunno... but let's say the punishment is a few years in jail and a
fine) rather than kill some innocent child.
But for the most part, however, I agree with you. Would I not pay my taxes
because I didn't support a war? Nah, that doesn't push me to feel the level
or immorality that killing babies does. So what it boils down to is: if it
goes against your morality to the point at which you could more easily live
with yourself in punishment for your crime rather than obey the law, you're
perfectly 'right' in your decision. But similarly, the government is equally
'right' in punishing you. And if enough people disobey the law, the
government had BETTER change or else it won't be much of a government for
long. To disallow change in a government is most likely a path towards a
self-destructive government.
DaveE
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