Olydnad : Civil olydnad som demokratiskt problem

This thesis discusses civil disobedience as a democratic problem or asset. The first chapter states the nature and scope of the problem. The next six chapters discuss a large number of reasons for regarding acts of civil disobedience – performed in representative democracies such as Sweden and the USA – as undemocratic or, alternatively, as democratic. I have called such reasons democracy-based reasons. My conclusions are that some of these arguments against (or objections to) civil disobedience show that at least some acts of civil disobedience are, all things being equal, undemocratic; and that some of these arguments for (or defences of) civil disobedience show that at least some acts of civil disobedience are, all things being equal, democratic. But it is very difficult to reach a well founded conclusion that a particular act of civil disobedience is, all things considered, undemocratic (or democratic). And even if it is undemocratic (or democratic) all things considered, it is still an open question whether, from a moral point of view, it should be performed. The democracy-based reasons have relatively weak moral relevance or little scope. They can therefore be eliminated from the general discussion of whether it is morally right or wrong to engage in civil disobedience. However, some reasons may play an important part in the discussion of whether a certain specific act of civil disobedience is morally right or wrong. But in that case they have to be supplemented with concrete empirical information and weighed against other types of moral considerations.