baldn:

Bruce

"No, you've got it backwards again. Sure there are bad laws. But the response to bad laws is to repeal them, not to ignore them at will. "

No I do not have it backwards...there have been many laws through out hisroty that have been so wrong that people have a moral obligation NOT to follow them. If you do not see that then I can say no more. I was also speaking from a realistic view, that is what people do obey the laws they agree with. Many times if a law is inconvient at a time people will ignor it (e.g., speeding). Most of the "major" laws (i.e., murder) most people follow all of the time. Following and breaking laws there is an abudance of literature and theories. I personally believe that the below theory account for most behaviours by people.

I am enjoying this discussion. Thanks

Me, too. Rational choice theory has a lot of intuitive appeal, but ultimately leaves me wanting, because the discussion of what the most rational choice would be in a given situation his infinite iterations.

As for obeying bad laws, most theories of civil disobedience say that you can and should break an unjust law, but they also say that you should suffer the penalties for it, in order to call attention to the injustice. Which to me seems to be a different way of saying respect the law but work to get it repealed.