Saul Alinsky, a man of many virtues pioneered civil disobedience in the mid
Twentieth century by inspiring entire communities to act as a whole in order to effect a
specific cause. Historical figures such as Buddha, Jesus Christ, St. Francis of Assisi,
Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King have also encouraged various forms of civil
disobedience to achieve their goals of peace and justice.
Alinsky's rationale for this system of non-violent protest was clear. It
stemmed from Gandhi's moral belief that violence was wrong and his strategic belief that
violence was ineffective. For G…
