The CRÉ is delighted to invite you to an evening of discussion, in French, on the themes of resistance, activism, and civil and uncivil disobedience, featuring Candice Delmas, philosopher at Northeastern University in Boston, as she presents her book, The Duty to Resist, recently translated in French.

All are welcome!

Event organization, moderation, and inquiries: Christian Nadeau (christian.nadeau@umontreal.ca).

What are our responsibilities in the face of injustice? Philosophers often argue that citizens of a generally just state must obey the law, even when it is unjust, except in rare cases of civil disobedience to protest specific issues. Activists, on the other hand—whether fighting for civil rights, combating violence against women, or addressing the climate crisis—often believe that the primary obligation is to resist injustice.

Reexamining the concept of political obligation, Candice Delmas demonstrates that the duty to resist is grounded in the same principles as the duty to obey the law. Forms of uncivil disobedience, from offering clandestine aid to migrants and leaking unauthorized documents to ecosabotage and cyberattacks, can sometimes be justified, and even morally required, in democratic societies.

It is through such illicit and uncivil actions that the Freedom Riders challenged segregation in the United States, that #BlackLivesMatter exposed police violence, and that #MeToo revealed the widespread nature of harassment and femicide. Incivility disrupts, accuses, and makes indifference impossible, forcing people to take a stand.

So, what is legitimate to do in defense of a just cause in a rule-of-law state that turns a blind eye to critical issues?