"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."
The question of course is, peoples interpretations of which laws are just and unjust are subject to bias and individual incentives.
The question of course is, peoples interpretations of which laws are just and unjust are subject to bias and individual incentives.
Incidentally, while I recognize thr popularity of this quote, its fairly ridiculous taken literally for laws which are prohibitory rather than obligatory.
Viewing a prohibition as unjust does not obligate me to violate the prohibition; believing people should be free from government constraint to do something doesn’t require me to do that thing.
“Disregard” or “discount” in place of “disobey” would be more generally valid.
So outlawing theft, rape, fraud, kidnapping, false imprisonment, etc. - that's all unjust?