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definition of civil disobedience

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Civil disobedience is the deliberate, public, nonviolent refusal to obey certain laws, demands, or commands of a government or occupying power, undertaken to protest policies or laws considered unjust and to bring about political or social change. Key features typically include:

- Intentional breach of specific laws or regulations.
- Nonviolent means.
- Publicity (done openly rather than secretly).
- Moral or conscientious motivation (appealing to justice or public conscience).
- Willingness to accept legal penalties as part of the protest.

Notable formulations: Henry David Thoreau emphasized individual conscience and refusal to cooperate with injustice; Martin Luther King Jr. stressed nonviolence and accepting punishment to highlight injustice; John Rawls described it as a form of conscientious political action, often used as a last resort. Examples include sit-ins during the U.S. civil-rights movement, Gandhi’s Salt March, and draft resistance.