Philosophy of Nonviolence and Civil Disobedience

We’ll debate whether civil disobedience undermines or strengthens democracy and consider if non-violence can ever be justified.

When is civil-disobedience permissible? Is non-violence morally required? Is it morally justifiable? This course develops the ideas from the political philosophy course. It focuses on philosophical examination of these issues based on in-depth case studies of movements from outside India. Students will work with the latest empirical studies about non-violence and apply their views in political philosophy, epistemology and metaphysics.