Pietro Moraro

Irreversibility and the Defense of Necessity: An Argument in Favour of Direct Action.

In this essay, I deal with the problem of the moral justification of extra-democratic forms of opposition to democratic policies. My discussion is based on an argument recently offered by M. Humphrey, who has claimed that the irreversibility of some environmental policies may lend support to the justification of environmental direct actions. Firstly, I will describe Humphrey’s argument. Then, I will endorse his view, trying to suggest a possible way to extend it beyond the environmental sphere. My final aim will be to show that his argument may also apply to some other forms of extra-democratic protest.