Chapter 8 - Duties of Resistance

Summary

This chapter considers what sort of duties are generated by the right of resistance and how they might attach to affluent persons. This chapter begins by distinguishing duties of resistance from more often discussed non-ideal duties of justice and assistance. There might be significant similarities between these various groups of duties, but distinguishing them puts the agency of resisting agents in the foreground.

It argues that there are three categories of negative duties: non-intervention, one ought not to directly interfere with resisting agents; non-collaboration, one ought not to assist institutions dedicated to crushing resistance; non-obstruction, one ought not to interfere with organisations assisting resistance. The duties are neither too excessive or too permissive.

There are also positive duties to support resistance. These duties appear to be rather demanding, as shown in the example of French citizens prosecuted for assisting illegal immigrants, but they might be acted on in various non-criminal ways, such as supporting ‘sanctuary city’ policies. These duties may require sacrifices, but the alternative is to allow people to live under much more onerous burdens.