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Klimathot eller dagsbot? – En rättsfilosofisk analys av civil olydnad till förmån för klimatet

Sund, Alice LU (2025) JURM02 20251
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The challenges faced by current and future generations as a result of the impacts of climate change are unprecedented. Therefore, our modes of thinking and acting are being fundamentally challenged. As a result, a new climate movement has emerged, calling on politicians to ensure sustainable policies and societies. In October 2024, a climate activist was acquitted by the Stockholm District Court of two charges of disobedience to public order. The court ruled that the activist acted in distress under Chapter 24 section 4 of the Criminal Code and had a moral and professional responsibility to act in view of the seriousness of climate change. The court's reference to a moral responsibility to act in favour for the climate forms the... (More)
The challenges faced by current and future generations as a result of the impacts of climate change are unprecedented. Therefore, our modes of thinking and acting are being fundamentally challenged. As a result, a new climate movement has emerged, calling on politicians to ensure sustainable policies and societies. In October 2024, a climate activist was acquitted by the Stockholm District Court of two charges of disobedience to public order. The court ruled that the activist acted in distress under Chapter 24 section 4 of the Criminal Code and had a moral and professional responsibility to act in view of the seriousness of climate change. The court's reference to a moral responsibility to act in favour for the climate forms the inspiration for this thesis that examines how climate-related civil disobedience can be understood and justified based on legal philosophical theories of civil disobedience by Hannah Arendt, John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin. As Swedish law lacks a definition of civil disobedience, these theories are used to understand the moral and political dimensions of the phenomenon in the light of global climate changes.

Through an analytical method and theory-oriented approach, the thesis aims to analyse the conditions under which the theories can legitimize today's civil disobedience in favour of the climate. The thesis also aims to analyse the theories from the perspective of intergenerational justice, which is used as an analytical tool to examine these 20th century theories in a contemporary context characterized by sustainability challenges and justice aspects which transcend time and space. Therefore, the thesis begins with a literature review that provides an overview of the causes and consequences of climate change and how this has given rise to a global climate movement. In order to get the attention of those in power and form opinion, climate activists use various forms of civil disobedience, which are presented and analysed.

The thesis then presents the three philosophers' different definitions of civil disobedience and how they justify such actions. Arendt views political action as a form of civic engagement rooted in a republican ideal. Rawls emphasizes civil disobedience as a justice-based protest in cases where the state risks undermining basic principles of justice. Dworkin emphasizes both individual and collective forms of civil disobedience, motivated by moral reasons or pro-testing against a lack of legislation. However, all three agree that civil disobedience is a trans-legal, non-violent act directed primarily against legislation or policy. Their perspectives are presented, compared and analysed in relation to climate related civil disobedience and intergenerational justice. The analysis shows that all theories contain elements that support climate-related civil disobedience on different grounds. Furthermore, intergenerational justice as an analytical tool contributes to understanding the theories from a perspective adapted to the challenges of climate change. However, a theoretical gap be-tween the philosophical theories of the past and contemporary issues risen due to climate change is revealed. This both emphasises the limitations of legal philosophy and offers a possible way forward in the face of complex, long-term justice challenges. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
De utmaningar som dagens och kommande generationer står inför, till följd av klimatförändringarnas konsekvenser, har inga motsvarigheter i historien. Därför utmanas vårt tänkande och agerande från grunden. Som en följd av detta finns en rörelse som försöker påverka politiken och samhället i en mer hållbar riktning: klimataktivisterna. I oktober 2024 friades en klimataktivist av Stockholms tingsrätt från två åtalspunkter om ohörsamhet mot ordningsmakten. Rätten bedömde att aktivisten agerat i nöd enligt 24 kap. 4 § brottsbalken och haft ett moraliskt och yrkesmässigt ansvar att agera med anledning av klimatförändringarnas allvar. Denna skrivning, särskilt domstolens hänvisning till ett moraliskt ansvar att agera för klimatet, ligger till... (More)
De utmaningar som dagens och kommande generationer står inför, till följd av klimatförändringarnas konsekvenser, har inga motsvarigheter i historien. Därför utmanas vårt tänkande och agerande från grunden. Som en följd av detta finns en rörelse som försöker påverka politiken och samhället i en mer hållbar riktning: klimataktivisterna. I oktober 2024 friades en klimataktivist av Stockholms tingsrätt från två åtalspunkter om ohörsamhet mot ordningsmakten. Rätten bedömde att aktivisten agerat i nöd enligt 24 kap. 4 § brottsbalken och haft ett moraliskt och yrkesmässigt ansvar att agera med anledning av klimatförändringarnas allvar. Denna skrivning, särskilt domstolens hänvisning till ett moraliskt ansvar att agera för klimatet, ligger till grund för uppsatsen som undersöker hur klimatrelaterad civil olydnad kan förstås och rättfärdigas utifrån rättsfilosofiska teorier om civil olydnad av Hannah Arendt, John Rawls och Ronald Dworkin. Då svensk lag saknar en definition av civil olydnad, används dessa teorier för att belysa fenomenets moraliska och politiska dimensioner i ljuset av de globala klimatförändringarna.

Genom en analytisk metod och teoriorienterad inriktning syftar uppsatsen till att analysera under vilka förutsättningar som teorierna kan legitimera dagens civila olydnad till förmån för klimatet. Uppsatsen syfte är även att analysera teorierna utifrån ett perspektiv om intergenerationell rättvisa, som används som ett analytiskt verktyg för att pröva dessa 1900-talsteorier i en samtida kontext präglad av hållbarhetsutmaningar och rättviseaspekter som överskrider tid och rum. Uppsatsen inleds därför med en litteraturstudie som ger en översikt över klimatförändringarnas orsaker och konsekvenser samt hur detta har gett upphov till en global våg av civil olydnad som protestform. Den nya vågens klimatrörelse använder sig av olika former av civil olydnad för att få makthavarnas uppmärksamhet och bilda opinion, vilka presenteras och analyseras.

Uppsatsen presenterar sedermera de tre filosofernas olika definitioner av civil olydnad och hur de berättigar sådana aktioner. Arendt ser på politiskt handlande som en form av medborgerligt engagemang med rötter i ett republikanskt ideal. Rawls betonar civil olydnad som en rättvisebaserad protest i fall då staten riskerar att underminera grundläggande rättviseprinciper. Dworkin framhåller både individuella och kollektiva former av civil olydnad, motiverade av moraliska skäl eller protest mot bristande lagstiftning. Alla tre enas dock i att civil olydnad innebär en lagöverskridande, icke-våldsam handling riktad framför allt mot lagstiftning eller policy. Deras perspektiv presenteras, jämförs och analyseras i relation till klimatförändringarna och intergenerationell rättvisa. Analysen visar att samtliga teorier innehåller element som erbjuder stöd för klimatrelaterad civil olydnad, men att de gör det på olika grunder. Vidare bidrar intergenerationell rättvisa som analysverktyg till att förstå teorierna från ett perspektiv anpassat till klimatförändringarnas utmaningar. Samtidigt synliggörs ett teoretiskt glapp mellan dåtidens filosofiska teorier och nutidens klimatförändringar. Detta både blottlägger rättsfilosofins tidsmässiga begränsningar och erbjuder en möjlig väg vidare inför komplexa, långsiktiga rättviseutmaningar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sund, Alice LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Civil Disobedience and Climate Change: A Legal-Philosophical Analysis of Civil Disobedience for the Climate
course
JURM02 20251
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
allmän rättslära, rättsfilosofi, civil olydnad, civil disobedience, legal philosophy, klimatförändringar, klimataktivism, climate change, climate activism, John Rawls, Hannah Arendt, Ronald Dworkin
language
Swedish
id
9188801
date added to LUP
2025-06-03 11:16:29
date last changed
2025-06-03 11:16:29
@misc{9188801,
  abstract     = {{The challenges faced by current and future generations as a result of the impacts of climate change are unprecedented. Therefore, our modes of thinking and acting are being fundamentally challenged. As a result, a new climate movement has emerged, calling on politicians to ensure sustainable policies and societies. In October 2024, a climate activist was acquitted by the Stockholm District Court of two charges of disobedience to public order. The court ruled that the activist acted in distress under Chapter 24 section 4 of the Criminal Code and had a moral and professional responsibility to act in view of the seriousness of climate change. The court's reference to a moral responsibility to act in favour for the climate forms the inspiration for this thesis that examines how climate-related civil disobedience can be understood and justified based on legal philosophical theories of civil disobedience by Hannah Arendt, John Rawls and Ronald Dworkin. As Swedish law lacks a definition of civil disobedience, these theories are used to understand the moral and political dimensions of the phenomenon in the light of global climate changes. 

Through an analytical method and theory-oriented approach, the thesis aims to analyse the conditions under which the theories can legitimize today's civil disobedience in favour of the climate. The thesis also aims to analyse the theories from the perspective of intergenerational justice, which is used as an analytical tool to examine these 20th century theories in a contemporary context characterized by sustainability challenges and justice aspects which transcend time and space. Therefore, the thesis begins with a literature review that provides an overview of the causes and consequences of climate change and how this has given rise to a global climate movement. In order to get the attention of those in power and form opinion, climate activists use various forms of civil disobedience, which are presented and analysed. 

The thesis then presents the three philosophers' different definitions of civil disobedience and how they justify such actions. Arendt views political action as a form of civic engagement rooted in a republican ideal. Rawls emphasizes civil disobedience as a justice-based protest in cases where the state risks undermining basic principles of justice. Dworkin emphasizes both individual and collective forms of civil disobedience, motivated by moral reasons or pro-testing against a lack of legislation. However, all three agree that civil disobedience is a trans-legal, non-violent act directed primarily against legislation or policy. Their perspectives are presented, compared and analysed in relation to climate related civil disobedience and intergenerational justice. The analysis shows that all theories contain elements that support climate-related civil disobedience on different grounds. Furthermore, intergenerational justice as an analytical tool contributes to understanding the theories from a perspective adapted to the challenges of climate change. However, a theoretical gap be-tween the philosophical theories of the past and contemporary issues risen due to climate change is revealed. This both emphasises the limitations of legal philosophy and offers a possible way forward in the face of complex, long-term justice challenges.}},
  author       = {{Sund, Alice}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Klimathot eller dagsbot? – En rättsfilosofisk analys av civil olydnad till förmån för klimatet}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}