issue17 [trasncend小组]第6次作业，求拍

yangxq1001UID: 203663

TOPIC: ISSUE17 - "There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws."
WORDS: 529          TIME: 0:45:00          DATE: 2007-3-18

According to the statement, there are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual has to obey just laws and can disobey unjust laws. In my opinion, this statement is presumptuous in two aspects. First, it is not proper for us to classify laws as just laws and unjust laws. Second, if every individual disobeyed or resisted the laws he or she believes unjust, the society would be in a chaos.

First, whether a law is just or unjust is difficult for us to identify. The justice of a law has relation with the situation of the country, the culture of the country, religionary and political factors. The same law would have different effects at different periods and different countries. As is well-known, homosexuality is legitimate in some countries, while in most countries, it is illegal. It is not proper for us to tell whether homosexuality is just or unjust. The culture in western countries could accept homosexuality, while in eastern countries, especially Arabian countries, it is impossible for them to acknowledge the legitimacy of homosexuality. Another example that can support this idea is the planned parenthood status in China. In most countries, it is unimaginable and unjust for people to obey this law. While, in China, the pressure from population forced people in this country to obey this law. The justice of a law is determined by all people in this society but not any officials or governments. Because the executors of any laws are all people in the society, the justice of a law should be decided by all people in this country. Any individual or government could not decide the justice of a law instead of people themselves.

Second, no matter whatever a law is unjust, any one should not disobey it. If it is legitimate for a person to break the laws he thinks unjust, all laws will be useless. The decision that whether a law is just or unjust in a person's opinion is a subjective thought. All laws including just ones and unjust ones could be unjust in some individuals' opinion. For example, in some countries, abortion is legitimate. If some one in this country considered it illegal and it is legitimate for people to disobey unjust laws, this man may serve the devil in hospital. This can bring insecurity to all people in this country. If any one could disobey unjust laws, there is no sense for the existence of laws.

However, the statement of this issue has some rationality. It is right for us to question the justice of laws. In order to make our society more and more just, we must consummate the architecture of laws and justice of laws. It is reasonable that every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey laws. But the statement that it is more important for every individual to disobey and resist unjust laws is too extreme.

To sum up, it is people's right and freedom the judge the justice of any laws, but it is impossible for every individual to disobey the unjust laws they considered. Whether a law is just or unjust, every individual has a responsibility to obey it.