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Civil Disobedience and Personal Responsibility for Injustice (From Civil Disobedience, P 183-199, 1989, Paul Harris, ed. -- See NCJ-121683)

NCJ Number
121691
Author(s)
H A Bedau
Date Published
1989
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This analysis of civil disobedience focuses on its purposes and distinguishes between direct resistance designed to prevent the operation of a law or policy regarded as unjust and indirect resistance designed to protest the operation of a law or policy.
Abstract
Indirect action is justified on the grounds that some injustices are inaccessible to direct resistance by those who would protest them and is taken by people who are neither victims nor agents of the injustice. Fortas and Griswold oppose all acts of indirect civil disobedience, arguing that only those directly involved in injustice should protest it. In contrast, Thoreau's principle supports indirect civil disobedience. However, this principle does not by itself justify indirect civil disobedience. In addition, not all indirect resistance is justified. Although the distinctions between direct and indirect civil disobedience and between protesting and obstructing justice are important distinctions, they should not be the main basis on which to analyze the issues relating to civil disobedience. 20 reference notes.

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