Stumptown Stories/"Civil Disobedience" March 27, 2012

This week’s lecture focuses on recent civil disobedience movements throughout the world, ranging from Guatemalan peasants to an alliance of Serbian students and coal miners. The ethical dilemma at stake in the lecture is whether to obey unjust laws and cooperate with the status quo, or to resist authority while seeking the Good Society. The lecture concludes that civil disobedience is effective, common, and multicultural; that civil disobedience is a necessary part of the democratic process; that civil disobedience transforms the self and society.
Prof. Jesse Laird teaches in the Humanities, such as courses in Ethics, Global Diversity, and Peace Studies, and he participates in nonviolent social movements as a trainer-activist.Stumptown Stories is a weekly free lecture series held every Tuesday at The Jack London Bar located in the basement of the historic Rialto Pool Room in downtown Portland. Each week features the best and brightest of Portland speaking on a variety of subjects including Oregon History, Art, Literate, Politics and Philosophy. Always fascinating and always free. Full bar and full menu. 21+ only. Questions? [email protected]