Civil Disobedience

1. In the first paragraph, King suggests that every law has the possibility of being

•          A. valid or invalid, depending upon the method by which it is created.
•          B. beneficial to the society that it is meant to govern.
•          C. just or unjust, depending on its effect on human personality.
•          D. detrimental to certain individuals in a society.

2. King refers to St. Augustine and St. Aquinas in the first paragraph in order to

•          A. use religious authority to place his argument on a theological basis.
•          B. further define the distinction between a just and unjust law.
•          C. suggest that this categorization of law has been in existence for over fifteen      hundred years.
•          D. respond to critics who argue that any law that is passed by an elected legislature must be just.

3. Which one of the following individuals would King most likely agree?

• The person who, after careful reflection, determines that a given law accords with his or her sense of morality and therefore should be obeyed
• The person who always follows the letter of the law, out of respect for the rule of law.
• The person who, after hearing a legislator’s opinion, obeys or disobeys the law      based on the opinion of the legislator.
•          D. The person who always chooses to disregard any governmental authority.

In paragraph 3, the author’s discussion of the results of “nonviolent direct action” suggests that the society in which the author lives

• allows the majority, through the use of force, to rule unjustly over various minority groups.
• lives under a system of laws that is primarily unjust.
• exhibits injustice that may be exposed by an open refusal to obey certain laws.
• is restricted in its movement toward a just society by the forces of immorality and stagnation.

5. The final paragraph of the passage is an attempt to point out that “injustice” 

• can be reduced, so long as individuals act according to their beliefs and resist the complacency that allows justice.
• is a necessary evil that has existed since the earliest human societies.
• can only be fought by appealing to government authorities.
• is a natural consequence of people coming together in society, and to escape it      requires people to seek new forms of social organization.

The primary purpose of Thoreau’s passage is to

• show why every government is unjust.
• suggest that not all governments are capable of protecting the rights of their citizens.
• support and argument for the overthrow of the current government.
• describe an ideal toward which the current government should strive.

In the second paragraph, Thoreau suggests that the first step toward improving government is

•          A. an understanding of what kind of government would be worthy of respect.
•          B. a commitment to the basic principles of democracy.
•          C. an acceptance of the injustice inherent in democratic government.
•          D. the elimination of governmental control of the economy.

8. In developing the argument in the last paragraph, Thoreau is primarily concerned with

• A. comparing the American government with the government of other European countries.
•          B. discussing the limits of governmental authority over the individual.
•          C. demonstrating a flaw that appears in every social organization.
• D. establishing the authority of majority rule.

According to Thoreau, majority rule serves as the basis for the form of government in certain societies because

• A. the majority generally knows what is right, and so their decisions have greater  moral authority.
•          B. majority rule is the ideal system of government.
• the conscience of each individual is always expressed through the views of the  majority.
• the majority can use the strength of their greater numbers to carry out their   wishes.

10. Thoreau uses the phrase “that we should be men first, and subjects afterwards in order to

•          A. demonstrate the isolation of the individual in society.
•          B. argue that humans have a need for government.
•          C. further the claim that each individual must follow his or her own conscience.
•          D. explain the need for nonviolent direct action.