Filozofska istraživanja, Vol. 45 No. 3, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21464/fi45304
Musical Performance as an Act of Civil Disobedience
Đurica Stojanović
orcid.org/0009-0002-8888-9205
; Univerzitet u Nišu, Filozofski fakultet, Ćirila i Metodija 2, RS–18000 Niš
Abstract
This paper addresses an issue that is often overlooked in the theory of civil disobedience – the question of musical performance as an act of civil disobedience. There are two goals of this research. First, by using the conception of principled disobedience as proposed by Candice Delmas, I intend to show how musical performance and music can constitute acts of civil disobedience, as they may represent nonviolent and public acts of principled lawbreaking intended to protest unjust laws, policies, institutions, or practices – acts carried out with respect and civility, followed by the willingness of the agents to accept the legal consequences of their actions. Furthermore, if the performers do not adhere to the norms of civility, musical performance and music may also constitute acts of uncivil disobedience. Secondly, I aim to determine whether the anti-war performance by the supergroup Rimtutituki in 1992 was an act of civil disobedience or uncivil disobedience. Since the performance did not adhere to the norms of civility, addressed by Delmas, it appears that it represents an act of uncivil disobedience. Also, I will point out that this musical performance is one of the examples that demonstrates the strength of Candice Delmas’ conception of principled disobedience.
Keywords
civil disobedience; musical performance; Candice Delmas; John Rawls; principled disobedience; uncivil disobedience; Rimtutituki; Pussy Riot
Hrčak ID:
340414
URI
Publication date:
14.12.2025.
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