John RawlsThinkers

Civil disobedience is a form of address to the sense of justice of the community and should not exert pressure on the state by non-cooperation of the kind that gandhi commended.

Civil disobedience is a public, non-violent, conscientious yet political act contrary to law usually done with the aim of bringing about a change in the law or policies of the government'. The civil disobedient should submit themselves to punishment.

Civil disobedience is not recommended against basically unjust regimes because they may be aroused to 'more repressive measures if the calculation of advantages points in this direction.

Civil disobedience is not about submitting voluntarily to the legal penalty in unjust regimes, for to so submit would 'not only be to play into the hands of forces that he believes cannot be trusted, but also to express a recognition of the legitimacy of the constitution to which he is opposed.

Civil disobedience must be limited to instances of substantial and clear injustice.

Justice is a rational, not instrumental, in that it enables each to realize his or her nature as a morally and rationally autonomous being.

Justice is inextricably linked with fairness.

Justice is not about redressing inequalities but rather, about providing each person with resources that are sufficient to their realizing their 'moral powers' of free, responsible, and rational agency.