Nature of Political Disobedience

Abstract

Political concepts, unlike most of the basic concepts of natural science, cannot be precisely defined in the sense that the definitions put forward have been established as valid and are accepted by all those who use the concepts for analytical and teaching purposes. Political concepts have in most cases a long history, and have been used in different ways by different political thinkers and actors for a variety of purposes. Their use by different writers has to be explored and critically examined to determine the value for understanding of using or defining the term in a particular way. The concept of political disobedience is no exception. Consequently students of politics must accept what follows not as an authoritative statement of what political disobedience is, but rather as an introduction to the study of what it involves which will provide a basis for further reading and personal assessment. Political concepts have to be grappled with, not learnt.