Breaking The Law

Aristotle, a well acclaimed philosopher of ancient Greece, once declared that, “It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen”. Staying true to humanity’s values makes one a good man, while following the laws set out by the government defines a good citizen. But when those laws infringe upon humanity’s, it causes high controversy and may end up in criminal activity in order to preserve moral values. For such reasons, it would be reasonable to break a law under certain conditions for the sake of self-defense and the greater good. Though some people may advocate that laws are set in place for the security of the general public, there must be a few exceptions to this rule due to some unexpected necessities for one’s own

In the late late twentieth century, the apartheid in South Africa portrays the reaping benefits of breaking the law for the greater good of the South Africans. After the all-white government came to power in South Africa, the officials began imposing unfair laws upon restricting the majority nonwhites. This lead to the mass revolution through armed and peaceful protests, breaking laws such as the Population Registration Act. This upheaval led to providing more power to the nonwhites and providing more equality between the people, increasing peace relations and making a more stable environment for the next generation. Such outcomes outweigh the infraction of going against the law, proving it justifiable to break the law for the sustainability of the future. The satyagraha movement in India as well provides an exquisite example as to how breaking a law is acceptable by others. Throughout the oppressive British rule in India, Mahatma Gandhi had advocated a nonviolent approach of overthrowing the British Raj by illegally protesting in the streets. This blatant defiance of the laws set in place by the English monarchy demonstrated an active motivator in urging others to retaliate, resulting in the boycott British goods and India’s independence. The independence brought back the traditional values and brought prosperity to India for years to