Original scientific paper
Responsible Citizenship, Anti-militarism and Disobedience to the State
Thom Holterman
; Dordrecht
Abstract
If we consider civil disobedience to be established on moral grounds, it implies that before adopting it as a form of protest all the available means of the current political system (which is being disputed) must have already been used, that it must involve open and non-violent action and the acceptance of punishment. The term »disobedience to the state« is preferred because it implies universality as its essential dimension. The criterion of immorality, against which the protest is directed, are crimes against humanity and nature. The right to resist to actions performed by the state (the basis of disobedience to the state) ensues from the existence of parliamentary democracy, as well as does the duty of obedience towards democratically enacted laws. By disobedience one can dispute those laws and acts which although laid down in a correct formal procedure, function contrary to the supposed social contract. In order to prevent actions of disobedience from becoming confined to the promotion of individual advantage or particular interest, the additional responsibility to be fitted into an overall plan of creating a new order (based on the abolition of the current hierarchical society) must be accepted. Therefore, the act of disobedience, apart from anticipating the elements of a new society must ensure that the alternative plan also be desired by other citizens. Responsible citizenship opposes the dominant cultural model (of ensuring social peace by preventive intimidation) on the grounds of a competing model (based on a community independent of those in power and on unathoritarian human dignity). Responsible citizenship necessarily implies antimilitarism.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
155547
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1988.
Visits: 973 *