Albert Einstein – Obedience
“Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it.”
Albert Einstein
Big Idea
Many students don’t like rules, and that’s because rules often make students turn against their consciences and deny what they think is right. Yet obedience to rules is necessary for stability. Schools, families and governments can’t function without adherence to the rules. The tension between our impulse to obey authority and our duty to follow our conscience never goes away.
Claim
Einstein sides with the individual here. You should disobey your government if what the government is asking you to do goes against your morals and conscience.
Counterclaim
On the other hand, it’s important to obey rules. After all, if everybody just followed their moral conscience and ignored rules, then there would be no stability. A school couldn’t provide a safe environment and a government couldn’t control its citizens. That is chaos.
Essential
Question
Should you ever disobey authority?
Student Video
Norma Jean, Jumping Bean – Obedience
In Norma Jean, Jumping Bean the main character is a young kangaroo who must learn to follow rules. When she gets in trouble for jumping, she resolves to never jump again. By the end of the story, she ...
“Letter From a Birmingham Jail” – Obedience
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” would be an ideal primary source to teach the theme of obedience. I could use the Albert Einstein conversation before i ...
Rosa Parks – Obedience
When looking at Rosa Parks’ contribution to The Civil Rights Movement it makes sense to explore the theme of obedience. Even though she knew she might be arrested, Parks sat in a whites-only bus sec ...
Argumentative Writing – Obedience
I am teaching argumentative writing and I want to focus on the theme of obedience by exploring the pros and cons of following rules even when you disagree with them. Using the Albert Einstein quote, ...
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