Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led peaceful protests during the civil rights movement. Before and since, people have used different forms of civil disobedience to advocate for change in laws or policies. Think about the ways in which ethics, social responsibility, and religion contribute to attempts to bring about social change. Consider the following quotation from Ch. 9 of your text as you respond to the discussion questions this week, and discuss how this expression of natural law contributes to ethical decision-making about social issues.
“Because natural law is higher than human law, when human laws or cultural norms conflict with natural law or any of the higher laws, civil disobedience may be not only morally acceptable but morally required. Civil disobedience involves the refusal to obey certain government or human laws for the purpose of trying to bring about a change in legislation or government policy.” (Boss, 2023, p. 292)
Respond to the following:
Do you agree or disagree with the assertion that natural law is higher than human law? Why or why not?
Provide at least 2 examples of civil disobedience in American history.
Why would these examples be considered civil disobedience?
How might our ethical and moral perspectives shape how we feel about civil duty and civil disobedience?
