Conscientious Objection

Abstract

Conscientious objection involves essentially an agent’s refusal to comply with an authoritative standard or rule that applies to him because doing so entails betraying one or more of his deepest commitments. Like most discussions of conscientious objection, this article focuses on conflicts between a person’s legal obligations and fidelity to his or her moral or religious beliefs. Several grounds for a moral right to freedom of conscience are identified, as are various considerations that serve to limit the scope of that right. The possibility that conscientious objection to law may sometimes provide an excuse for criminal conduct, or ground a plea for mercy, is also explored.