The Ethics of Government Whistleblowing

@article{Delmas2015TheEO,
  title={The Ethics of Government Whistleblowing},
  author={Candice Delmas},
  journal={Social Theory and Practice},
  year={2015},
  volume={41},
  pages={77-105}
}
  • Candice Delmas
  • Published 1 February 2015
  • Political Science
  • Social Theory and Practice
What is wrong with government whistleblowing and when can it be justified? In my view, "government whistleblowing," that is, the unauthorized acquisition and dis- closure of classified information about the state or government, is a form of "political vigilantism," which involves transgressing the boundaries around state secrets, for the purpose of challenging the allocation or use of power. It may nonetheless be justified when it is suitably constrained and exposes some information that the… 
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In his view, all that is needed is a declaration of intention made after the fact. See Brian Smart
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Rawls even makes it a defining feature of civil disobedience. I shall merely treat it as a necessary condition for the justification of civil disobedience here