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CSLG organises a seminar by Manohar Kumar
Event Details
ENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF LAW AND GOVERNANCE
Jawaharlal Nehru University
SEMINAR SERIES
MANOHAR KUMAR
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Science and Humanities,
Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi
On
Speaking Truth to Power: A Theory of Whistleblowing
Abstract
Whistleblowing is the public disclosure of information with the purpose of revealing wrongdoings and abuses of power that harm the public interest. In this seminar I argue that whistleblowing is a response to a democratic dilemma that is a product of secrecy in a democracy: secrecy enables security but limits accountability. Unrestrained secrecy limits the epistemic entitlement of citizens to know under which conditions their rights are limited by security policies and corporate interests. On the other hand complete transparency enables accountability but limits security and hence exposes the citizens to unknown threats. Political philosophy has sought to resolve this dilemma through procedural safeguards that ensure greater publicity of decision making in the process discounting the informational asymmetry posed by secrecy. Contrary to ideal theorisation this seminar seeks to shift the attention of democratic theory from the procedures of consent formation to the mechanisms that guarantee the expression of dissent. I argue that whistleblowing represents a legitimate form of political agency that safeguards the fundamental rights of citizens against the threat of unrestrained secrecy by government power.
Finally, I argue that whistleblowing is a distinctive form of civil dissent, a form of modern parrhesia, that aims to speak truth to power. In doing so it contributes to the demands of institutional transparency in constitutional democracies. Furthermore, the way institutions are responsive to dissent determines the robustness of democracy, and ultimately, its legitimacy. What place dissenters have within a society, whether they enjoy personal safety, legal protection, and safe channels for their disclosure, are hallmarks of a good democracy, and of its sense of justice.
3.00 PM, Thursday, 04 April 2019
Conference Room, CSLG, JNU
About the Speaker: Manohar Kumar is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Social Science and Humanities, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi. His current research interests are around questions of civil disobedience, democratic secrecy, digital dissent, and epistemic injustice. His works have appeared in Philosophy and Social Criticism, and in edited volumes of Routledge. He holds a PhD in Political Theory from LUISS University, Rome and has held post-doctoral positions at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and at Aix Marseille School of Economics, Aix Marseille University.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR TEA AFTER THE SEMINAR
ALL ARE WELCOME
DIRECTIONS: From the JNU main gate (North Gate), proceed straight until you get to a T-junction. Turn left. Continue until you reach a second T-junction. Turn right. Follow the road for just 0.7 km until you see a bus stop labelled ‘Paschimabad’. About 50 m past the bus stop take the first right turn. The CSLG building is on the right at the blind end of the lane. The conference room is on the first floor. A lift is being installed at CSLG and we hope the conference room will be more accessible in some time.
