A Duty to Resist

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What are our responsibilities in the face of injustice, and how far should we go to fight it? Many argue that citizens have a moral duty to obey laws in nearly just states. However, advocates of civil disobedience contend that there are times when we must disobey unjust laws. Activists from Thoreau to Gandhi recognized this duty to resist. A Duty to Resist explores political obligation in societies with injustice, arguing that principles of justice, fairness, and political association create a responsibility to resist. Delmas asserts that political obligation should encompass the duty to oppose unjust laws, even in legitimate states. This duty demands principled disobedience, which may not always be civil. Covert, violent, evasive, or offensive acts of lawbreaking can sometimes be justified or even required. Delmas defends various forms of resistance, including illegal assistance to undocumented migrants, leaks of classified information, DDoS attacks, sabotage, guerrilla art, and armed self-defense. While there are limits—principle alone does not justify lawbreaking—uncivil disobedience can be both permissible and necessary in the struggle against injustice.