ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the significance and implications of the Sunflower Movement for democracy in Taiwan and pro-democracy protests elsewhere. The idea of confrontational contestation can also be understood as a revision of the ideas of civil and democratic disobedience. Deficiencies in the liberal view of civil disobedience have been around for years, and recent commentators have become more wary of such a view. Conversely, republican democratic disobedience revolves around the processes of democracy rather than any perceived democratic ideals. The fundamental problem of human political life is how to address the tension between cooperation and competition: compromise is an essential element in relieving this tension. Civil disobedience, more often than not, gets punished; this is especially true for prominent examples of civil disobedience, as governments often look to reinforce their authority and rule of law principles in the face of such behaviour.
