ABSTRACT
Gandhi described his utopia as enlightened anarchy. But it would be misleading to think that he commended a destructive movement. For Gandhi, civil disobedience was related to non-cooperation with injustice when it reached evil proportions, but it was to be supplemented with the economic, educational and social upliftment of the disadvantaged. He outlined a constructive programme which was essential training for civil disobedience. This chapter compares and contrasts the way Gandhi understands the right to civil disobedience and the way this right is understood by some leading contemporary liberals. It describes some of the implications of the right to civil disobedience. The right to civil disobedience implies that the authorities should extend some tolerance to civil disobedients when they are right and also when they are reasonably mistaken in their views. The right to civil disobedience is a moral right and has important implications for the legal system.
