Introductory description

In the face of entrenched social injustice, people resist. Resistance can be more local, or it can take the form of political revolution. This course is concerned with the ethics of resistance and revolution. To what extent, and when, is disobeying the law permitted or required? And when should that disobedience be civil, or to what extent can it be uncivil? What kinds of resistance to injustice is legitimate, when is resistance a form of terrorism, and can terrorism ever be justified? How, if at all, can the law respond to the distinction between legitimate political resistance and unjustified terrorism? Can we resist social injustice in a way that interferes with basic rights, such as liberty rights, property rights, or the right to free speech? For example, are political riots ever justified? And when can we damage or remove statues of wrongdoers? When can victims of economic injustice use force to rectify that injustice? And how should the legal institutions respond to such violations of the law? When must people engage with deficient legal and political process to secure social justice, and when might they seek to violate the law to resist? What is a revolution, and when is revolution justified? What should revolution aim at? And how should revolutions be conducted?

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Introduction to the Ethics of Defensive Force
2. Civil and Uncivil Disobedience.
3. What is terrorism and is it ever justified?
4. Terrorism and Resistance in the Law
5. Rioting and Politics
6. Symbols and Resistance: the Case of Public Statues
7. Resistance against Poverty
8. The Wrongs of Colonialism
9. Revolution as Resistance to Colonial Power

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Understand central literature on civil disobedience, terrorism, resistance and revolution.
• Develop their critical and philosophical skills in assessing political resistance, terrorism and revolution.
• Develop their ability to write independently and theoretically about politically important subjects in a sustained and philosophically informed way.

Indicative reading list

A Pasternak: Political Riots: A Moral Assessment Philosophy and Public Affairs 2019
J Howard and A Pasternak: Criminal Justice, Restorative Justice and the Moral Standing of Unjust States Journal of Political Philosophy 2019
M Renzo Revolution and Intervention Nous 2020
M Renzo Why Colonialism is Wrong Current Legal Problems 2019
L Ypi What’s Wrong with Colonialism Philosophy and Public Affairs 2013
L Ypi On Revolution in Kant and Marx Political Theory 2014
T Shelby Dark Ghettos (HUP)
J Hodgson and V Tadros The Impossibility of Defining Terrorism New Criminal Law Review
H Frowe ‘The Duty to Remove Statues of Wrongdoers’ Journal of Practical Ethics 2019
Z Stemplowska ‘The Rhodes Statue: Honour, Shame and Responsibility’ Political Quarterly (2021)
C Fabre Cosmopolitan War
K Brownlee Conscience and Conviction OUP 2013
D Lefkowitz On a Moral Right to Civil Disobedience Ethics 2007.
C Delmas A Duty to Resist: When Disobedience Should be Uncivil OUP 2018

Interdisciplinary

Legal and philosophical skills are bot involved.

International

The module concerns global phenomena, and will consider internationally important issues such as global economic inequality and colonialism.

Subject specific skills

Critical reading of key texts in moral, legal and political philosophy. Critical assessment of real world cases of civil disobedience, rioting, and criminal damage

Transferable skills

Critical thinking and philosophical method,
Close reading of challenging texts
Philosophical engagement with real world topics.