Whether it is Gandhi’s 1940‘s campaign for independence from the British Empire, or the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s in America, civil disobedience has long been the modus operandi for inspiring legal systems to enact change. It has been met with both applause and heckling for though it may be composed of moral intentions, it has also assumed a stance, which is contrary to the body of power at the time. The interpretation of civil disobedience itself has long been the center of controversy’s limelight. What differentiates an ordinary breach of law from an act of civil disobedience? What features compile civil disobedience? Is civil disobedience morally justified or is it nothing more than a euphemism for anarchy? The introduction and popularization of information technology and social media--including Twitter, Facebook, email, and so forth -- have come to affect not only the term’s common interpretation, but also the various issues that branch off from the core of civil disobedience. The purpose of this thesis includes compiling the various understandings of civil disobedience and establishing a conclusive definition that is both compelling and corresponding towards present day circumstances, whilst answering the questions that may often arise in its regard.
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