Why Societies Need Dissent / Cass R. Sunstein.
2005
JC328.3 .S93 2003
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Details
Title
Why Societies Need Dissent / Cass R. Sunstein.
Author
Sunstein, Cass R., author.
ISBN
9780674267657
Published
Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press, [2005]
Copyright
©2005
Language
English
Language Note
In English.
Description
1 online resource (256 p.)
Other Standard Identifiers
10.4159/9780674267657 doi
Call Number
JC328.3 .S93 2003
Dewey Decimal Classification
303.48/4
Summary
In this timely book, Cass R. Sunstein shows that organizations and nations are far more likely to prosper if they welcome dissent and promote openness. Attacking "political correctness" in all forms, Sunstein demonstrates that corporations, legislatures, even presidents are likely to blunder if they do not cultivate a culture of candor and disclosure. He shows that unjustified extremism, including violence and terrorism, often results from failure to tolerate dissenting views. The tragedy is that blunders and cruelties could be avoided if people spoke out. Sunstein casts new light on freedom of speech, showing that a free society not only forbids censorship but also provides public spaces for dissenters to expose widely held myths and pervasive injustices. He provides evidence about the effects of conformity and dissent on the federal courts. The evidence shows not only that Republican appointees vote differently from Democratic appointees but also that both Republican and Democratic judges are likely to go to extremes if unchecked by opposing views. Understanding the need for dissent illuminates countless social debates, including those over affirmative action in higher education, because diversity is indispensable to learning. Dissenters are often portrayed as selfish and disloyal, but Sunstein shows that those who reject pressures imposed by others perform valuable social functions, often at their own expense. This is true for dissenters in boardrooms, churches, unions, and academia. It is true for dissenters in the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court. And it is true during times of war and peace.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
System Details Note
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Digital File Characteristics
text file PDF
Source of Description
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 01. Dez 2022)
Series
Oliver Wendell Holmes Lectures
Linked Resources
Online Access
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Online Resources > Ebooks
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All Resources
Table of Contents
Frontmatter
PREFACE
CONTENTS
Introduction: Conformity and Dissent
1. Doing What Others Do
2. Obeying (and Disobeying) the Law
3. Traveling in Herds
4. What Will the Neighbors Think?
5. Free Speech
6. The Law of Group Polarization
7. The Framers' Greatest Contribution
8. Are Judges Conformists Too?
9. Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Conclusion: Why Dissent?
Notes
Index
PREFACE
CONTENTS
Introduction: Conformity and Dissent
1. Doing What Others Do
2. Obeying (and Disobeying) the Law
3. Traveling in Herds
4. What Will the Neighbors Think?
5. Free Speech
6. The Law of Group Polarization
7. The Framers' Greatest Contribution
8. Are Judges Conformists Too?
9. Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Conclusion: Why Dissent?
Notes
Index