Civil disobedience, and what else? Making space for uncivil forms of resistance

Abstract

Theorists of political obligation have long devoted special attention to civil disobedience, establishing its pride of place as an object of philosophical analysis, and as one of a short list of exceptions to an otherwise binding obligation to obey the law. Yet all of this attention to civil disobedience has left the broader terrain of resistance to injustice relatively under-theorized. What other forms of action are justifiable – even required – in the face of systemic injustice? Candice Delmas' A Duty to Resist: When Disobedience Should Be Uncivil offers an original and powerful defense of the idea that we have a duty to resist, and that carrying out this duty may sometimes require going beyond civil disobedience – engaging in forms of action that are evasive, shocking, violent, or otherwise deemed “uncivil.” Building on a wealth of recent scholarship and a rich set of examples, Delmas grounds the duty to resist in the same principles that political philosophers routinely use to defend an obligation to obey the law: the natural duty of justice, the principle of fair play, Samaritan duties to rescue others from peril, and the associative duties of membership. In making room for uncivil forms of dissent, however, I contend that Delmas ironically hollows out the category of civil disobedience, wedding it too tightly to a principle of decorum, and isolating it from protest that exceeds the boundaries of the communicative. Nevertheless, A Duty to Resist is an excellent – and much needed – contribution to the literature on dissent and disobedience.

In Defense of Shirking in Capitalist Firms: Worker Resistance vs. Managerial Power

“…Instead, it shows why and how the organizational reality of the firm gives rise to a variety of legitimate worker resistance in everyday practices beyond the language of legal rights and obligations. This also puts the paper into dialogue with the literature on repertoires of resistance, including strikes, slowdowns, and (un)civil disobedience (Delmas 2016; Gourevitch 2018; Pineda 2021; Raekstad and Rossi 2022). My argument shows that shirking as resistance is analogous to uncivil disobedience in some respects due to its covert and evasive character.…”

The Transformative Power of Social Movements

“…Demanding such adherence to non‐violence justifies mislabeling slight deviations as “riots,” as happened in the summer of 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter protests (ACLED, 2020; Delmas & Brownlee, 2021; Kling & Mitchell, 2021). In other words, turning a blind eye to the complexity of taking collective action plays into the hands of those who would prevent resistance and maintain the status quo (Celikates, 2014, 2016; Delmas, 2018; Pineda, 2021). Thus, many reject the unrealistic narrative of social movements that thrives on self‐sacrifice and harmonious action with no conflict among members (Hooker, 2016; Livingston, 2020; Mantena & Terry, 2018; Pineda, 2021).…”

“…In other words, turning a blind eye to the complexity of taking collective action plays into the hands of those who would prevent resistance and maintain the status quo (Celikates, 2014(Celikates, , 2016Delmas, 2018;Pineda, 2021). Thus, many reject the unrealistic narrative of social movements that thrives on self-sacrifice and harmonious action with no conflict among members (Hooker, 2016;Livingston, 2020;Mantena & Terry, 2018;Pineda, 2021).…”