Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and to disobey and resist unjust laws.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure

Laws in the nation are made to facilitate the smooth functioning of the country. Thus it is imperative that the citizens of the country abide by the laws. However sometimes the laws are unfair. In such scenarios the individual should not blindly stick to the law, rather he should defy the law. Thus i agree with the claim that Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and to disobey and resist unjust laws.

Firstly every individual should protest against the unjust laws. The unjust laws are a hindrance to the public and the nation itself. Because of such laws even innocent people can suffer. Consider Germany under Hitler's rule. There prevailed a litany of unjust laws against the jews. It was the responsibility of the denizens of the country to raise their voice against such grave inequity. If only had the people resisted, the genocide could have been abated if not precluded. The example shows that if the law harms blameless people then it should be opposed and eventually eradicated

Secondly in order to gain harmony and peace , it is incumbent on the individual to obey just laws. If they don't follow or obey the just laws, then a complete mayhem can break out. For instance if people started stealing, no house in the nation could be considered safe. Even the thief can become the victim. This could lead to utter chaos. Hence in order to protect oneself against any injustice, the individuals should conform to the laws. Thus for an country to work effectively and smoothly the individuals should obey just laws.

On the contrary, how does one define just and unjust laws. People don't think mechanically, its not always black and white. There are some grey also. No individual has a purely objective opinion on the law. They are influenced by the circumstances , their own ethical and moral standards etc. Consider if an person's daughter is dying due to complication during pregnancy. She could be saved by abortion . However the abortion is deemed illegal in the nation. Yet according to the father the law would be unjust. This example shows that sometimes people can't clearly differentiate between the just and unjust laws.

To recapitulate, laws are necessary to operate any nation. Often times the laws are equitable, but few times the laws can also be unjust. Thus it is an individual responsibility to identify the just laws, unjust laws and also act accordingly. They should shun the unjust laws while obeying the just laws.