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The British Academy Brian Barry Prize Essay: Civil Disobedience and State Anxiety

Chong-Ming Lim

British Journal of Political Science2026https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007123425101312article
ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Political philosophers writing about civil disobedience have tended to neglect the anxiety of the state about such disobedience. I identify three components of state anxiety – Contagion , Fragility , Value – concerning the contagiousness of disobedience, and the fragility and value of public institutions. I argue that state anxiety can be substantiated or specious, depending on the plausibility of Contagion and Fragility . It can also be significant or trivial, depending on the plausibility of Value . Finally, and focusing on John Rawls’ influential discussions of civil disobedience, I show how political philosophizing can mirror state anxiety about disobedience and, in doing so, bolster it.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007123425101312

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@article{chong-ming2026,
  title        = {{The British Academy Brian Barry Prize Essay: Civil Disobedience and State Anxiety}},
  author       = {Chong-Ming Lim},
  journal      = {British Journal of Political Science},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007123425101312},
}

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The British Academy Brian Barry Prize Essay: Civil Disobedience and State Anxiety

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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