The Ethics of Refusal (with Devonya Havis)

Hotel Bar Sessions

When is it right, or even necessary, to say "no"?

Refusing can be a powerful act—whether it’s standing up to authority, rejecting harmful norms, or pushing back against injustice. But when is saying “no” the right thing to do? And what are the stakes when we decide to refuse? Often our refusals are quotidian and inconsequential, but sometimes, and sometimes without our knowledge, they’re huge.

We often underestimate how often we issue refusals, both large and small, and we don’t consider carefully enough the moral and political dimensions of those acts. It’s not always easy to decide when it is appropriate to refuse, and even when we know it’s necessary, it’s not always easy. Our guest today, Dr. Devonya Havis University of Buffalo), has been thinking about the ethics and politics of refusal for some time, and how how refusing to go along with something can be an act of courage, rebellion, or survival.

We’re going to ask what happens when-- in the immortal words of Nancy Reagan-- you “just say no.”

Full episode notes available at this link:
episode-157-the-ethics-of-refusal-with-devonya-havis

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