Description
Book SynopsisProtest is a critical part of the contemporary political landscape. However, much philosophical theorizing about protest does not consider it as it is actually practiced, and instead focuses on how it should look in the ideal case. We take up the question of how to think about protest in the face of serious, substantial, ongoing injustices. In short, we propose a theory of protest for our world. What can or must protest include? What, if anything, must it avoid? We argue, contrary to popular opinion, that suitably constrained violent political protest is sometimes justified, when it is necessary to send a message about the nature of the injustice at stake. However, violent protests may only target those who are liable for the relevant injustice, and protesters must take care to ensure that their violent actions are not wanton, but are constrained so as to be both effective and communicative. Violent political protest, we contend, is not simply revolution by another name: rather, it is sometimes a last-ditch effort to remedy injustice without going to war.
Table of ContentsPreface
1. A Brief (Philosophical) History of Protest and Liberalism
I. Common Liberal Categories of Resistance and Protest
II. Pressing the Liberal Tradition
III. Moving Forward: Reimagining Liberalism
2. Bottles and Bricks: Rethinking the Prohibition against Violent Protest
I. The Conceptual ArgumentII. Moral ConsiderationsIII. Pragmatic Considerations
3. (Re)Considering Violence
I. An Ordinary Conception of Violence
I.a. Subjectivity and Ideology
II. Challenging an Ordinary Conception
II.a. Violence as a Rights ViolationII.b. Structural ViolenceII.c. Violence as a Violation of IntegrityIII. Return to Milkshaking
4. Violence as Persuasive Political Communication
I. Progressing Towards Justice
II. A Commitment to the Political
III. Interpersonal Violence as Moral and Political Suasion
5. Responsibility and Accountability: Permission for Violent Protest
I. The Political Responsibility to Oppose Injustice
II. The Nature of the Political Responsibility to Protest
III. Evaluating Protest from a Moral and Political Perspective
6. Attitudes and Actions: The Responsibilities of Protestors
I. Analysis of the Communicative Context
I.a. Dialogic Constraints on ProtestI.a.a. Prioritizing the Local
1.a.b. A Duty to Communicate with Each Other
II. Protecting the Vulnerable
III. Self-Respect and Violence
7. Protest and Revolution: Drawing Difficult Lines
I. The Traditional Distinction Between Revolution and Protest
II. Some Problems with the Traditional Account
III. A Way Forward
IV. Gradients, Not Bright Lines
About the Authors
Acknowledgements
