Eraldo Souza dos Santos, "Toward a Global History of Abe Fortas's Concerning Dissent and Civil Disobedience"

About This Event

This talk draws on Eraldo Souza does Santos's current research on the global history of United States Supreme Court Justice Abraham “Abe” Fortas's 1968 book, Concerning Dissent and Civil Disobedience. Published months before a scandal that would eventually force Fortas to resign from the Supreme Court, the book criticized the use of civil disobedience by activists opposing the Vietnam War. Drawing on largely overlooked archival materials, the paper reveals how the debate about the limits of civil disobedience the book sparked had repercussions beyond the United States, and played a key role in American foreign policy during the Cold War era. With support from the U.S. government, the book was translated and published in countries such as Brazil, France, and Japan—and played an important role in shaping debates about civil disobedience in the context of international struggles against student radicalism.

Featured Guests

Eraldo Souza dos Santos (Paris 1 Sorbonne)