Rawls in the Nonideal World: an Evaluation of the Rawlsian Account of Civil Disobedience (From Terrorism, Protest and Power, P 81-95, 1990, Martin Warner and Roger Crisp, eds. -- See NCJ-130873)

• NCJ Number: 130879
• Author(s): D Gosling
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Avebury Publishing Co
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This analysis of the applicability of Rawls's concept of civil disobedience to the United Kingdom concludes that the concept is too limited to be applicable in the nonideal world and that a less restrictive view is more appropriate.

Abstract

Rawls regards civil disobedience as justified in "nearly just" societies only when substantial and clear injustice exists, normal appeals to the political majority have failed, and the actions taken do not lead to a breakdown in respect for the law. However, if the United Kingdom is regarded as a "nearly just" country, current political and economic realities make Rawls' theory inadequate to the task of advancing justice. On the other hand, if the United Kingdom is not "nearly just," a less-restrictive notion of civil disobedience, resting on a different philosophical base, is needed. The Rawlsian ideal is admirable, but until governments of democracies acknowledge their role in the ideal system, citizens should not be bound by a nonvoluntary contract in which the stability it defends perpetuates injustice. 20 notes (Author summary modified)