Conscience and conviction: the case for civil disobedience

by Brownlee, Kimberley

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Title Statements

Full title :Conscience and conviction : the case for civil disobedience / Kimberley Brownlee.

Summary

"This book shows that civil disobedience is generally more defensible than private conscientious objection. Part I explores the morality of conviction and conscience. Each of these concepts informs a distinct argument for civil disobedience. The conviction argument begins with the communicative principle of conscientiousness (CPC). According to the CPC, having a conscientious moral conviction means not just acting consistently with our beliefs and judging ourselves and others by a common moral standard. It also means not seeking to evade the consequences of our beliefs and being willing to communicate them to others. The conviction argument shows that, as a constrained, communicative practice, civil disobedience has a better claim than private objection does to the protections that liberal societies give to conscientious dissent. This view reverses the standard liberal picture which sees private 'conscientious' objection as a modest act of personal belief and civil disobedience as a strategic, undemocratic act whose costs are only sometimes worth bearing. Part II translates the conviction argument and conscience argument into two legal defenses. The first is a demands-of-conviction defense. The second is a necessity defense. Both of these defenses apply more readily to civil disobedience than to private disobedience. Part II also examines lawful punishment, showing that, even when punishment is justifiable, civil disobedients have a moral right not to be punished."--Book description, Amazon.com.

Edition Statements

Publication Date:2012.
Edition:1st ed

Publication Statements

Publisher(s):Oxford University Press
Place of Publication:Oxford
Language:eng
Publication Date:2012.

The Physical Object

Description:1 online resource (xii, 266 pages.).

Edition Identifiers

ISBN:9780191746109, 019174610X
oclc:on1265441580
LC Classification:JC328.3
Dewey Decimal:303.61

The nature of conscience and conscientiousness -- Moral demands of conscience -- Moral rights of conscience and of conscientiousness -- The legal duty to break the law -- A demands of conviction defence -- A necessity defence -- Punishment.