Listen "The Ethics of Refusal (with Devonya Havis)"
Episode Synopsis
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: https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-157-the-ethics-of-refusal-with-devonya-havis-------------------If you enjoy Hotel Bar Sessions podcast, please be sure to subscribe and submit a rating/review! Better yet, you can support this podcast by signing up to be one of our Patrons at patreon.com/hotelbarsessions!Follow us on Twitter/X @hotelbarpodcast, on Facebook, on TikTok, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
More episodes of the podcast Hotel Bar Sessions
Quiet Resistance (with Tamara Fakhoury)
28/11/2025
Therapy
21/11/2025
Furious Minds (with Laura K. Field)
14/11/2025
Imagination (with Stephen T. Asma)
07/11/2025
Comedy
31/10/2025
The Hills We Die on
24/10/2025
Meet the NEW Co-Hosts!
17/10/2025
Eternity
10/10/2025
Crowds and Mobs
03/10/2025
Free Will (with Mark Balaguer)
26/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.