Philosophical Anarchism and Political Disobedience
By: Chaim Gans
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 1992
Place of publication: Cambridge, United Kingdom; New York, USA
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 174
ISBN-13: 9780521414500
Copyright date: 1992
Subjects: Civil disobedience.; Anarchism.; Criticism (Philosophy)
Description: This book examines the central questions concerning the duty to obey the law: the meaning of this duty; whether and where it should be acknowledged; and whether and when it should be disregarded. Many contemporary philosophers deny the very existence of this duty, but take a cautious stance towards political disobedience. This 'toothless anarchism', Professor Gans argues, should be discarded in favour of a converse position confirming the existence of a duty to obey the law which can be outweighed by values and principles of political morality. Informed by the Israeli experience of political disobedience motivated by radically differing moral outlooks, the author sets out the principles which should guide our attitude to law and political authority even amidst clashing ideologies and irreconcilable moralities. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of law, philosophy and politics, and anyone concerned with the individual's responsibilities toward his or her political community.

(Source: [Cambridge University Press](https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/philosophical-anarchism-and-political-disobedience/A7E0F00E3B1FFE86CAD295FD2260747E#fndtn-information))
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 165–168) and index.
Table of contents: title: Preface
pagenum: xi; title: Introduction
pagenum: 1; label: 1.
title: The meaning of the duty to obey the law and autonomy-based anarchism
pagenum: 5; label: 1.1.
title: Moral obligation, political obligation and the rule of law
pagenum: 5; label: 1.2.
title: Moral autonomy and the rigid conception of the duty to obey
pagenum: 10; label: 1.3.
title: Because the law so commands
pagenum: 14; label: 1.4.
title: A duty to obey
pagenum: 18; label: 1.5.
title: Laws as commands
pagenum: 99; label: 1.6.
title: The supremacy of law
pagenum: 24; label: 1.7.
title: Acknowledging an authority
pagenum: 33; label: 2.
title: The justifications of the duty to obey the law and critical anarchism
pagenum: 42; label: 2.1.
title: Gratitude
pagenum: 43; label: 2.2.
title: Consent
pagenum: 49; label: 2.3.
title: Fairness
pagenum: 57; label: 2.4.
title: The argument from consequences
pagenum: 66; label: 2.5.
title: The duty to support just institutions
pagenum: 78; label: 2.6.
title: Communal obligation
pagenum: 83; label: 2.7.
title: The importance of the duty to obey the law
pagenum: 89; label: 3.
title: The conditions of the applicability of the duty to obey the law and its democratic foundation
pagenum: 94; label: 3.1.
title: Justice and democracy as conditions for the duty to obey the law
pagenum: 96; label: 3.2.
title: Democracy as grounds for the duty to obey
pagenum: 108; title: Fair distribution of political power
pagenum: 109; title: Participation and consent
pagenum: 116; label: 4.
title: The limits of the duty to obey the law
pagenum: 120; label: 4.1.
title: Justifying disobedience
pagenum: 121; title: The argument from consequences: the formal limits of obedience and the complex criterion for disobedience
pagenum: 121; title: The values and intentions of the legislators and policy makers
pagenum: 127; title: The formal limits of obedience and two simple criteria for disobedience
pagenum: 129; title: Democracy, fairness and communal obligation: substantive limits of obedience
pagenum: 132; title: Justifying civil disobedience and conscientious objection
pagenum: 138; label: 4.2.
title: The attitude towards disobedience
pagenum: 146; title: Intolerance of justified acts of disobedience
pagenum: 147; title: Tolerance of unjustified disobedience: considerations of fairness
pagenum: 149; title: Tolerance of unjustified disobedience: pragmatic considerations
pagenum: 154; title: Tolerance of unjustified disobedience: freedom of conscience
pagenum: 155; title: Various means for expressing tolerance
pagenum: 159; title: Afterword
pagenum: 162; title: Bibliography
pagenum: 165; title: Index
pagenum: 169