Why this book?
- To understand the ethical dimensions of whistleblowing in organizations and institutions.
- To become familiar with the relation between whistleblowing, individual responsibility, and the public good.
- For readers interested in applied ethics, philosophy of law, and human rights.
- To examine when organizational loyalty gives way to moral duty.
- To reflect on the risks, costs, and criteria that make whistleblowing justified.
About the book
The Ethics of Whistleblowing by Eric Boot, a political philosopher and scholar of philosophy of law, is a work in applied ethics and practical philosophy. In this book, the author examines an issue that has become increasingly important in the contemporary world through the exposure of governmental, corporate, and organizational wrongdoing: does someone who becomes aware of serious misconduct inside an organization have the right, or even the duty, to disclose it?
The book seeks to balance several important values: loyalty to the organization, confidentiality, responsibility toward colleagues, the possible harms of disclosure, and, on the other side, society’s right to know and the prevention of serious harm. For this reason, whistleblowing is presented neither simply as a heroic act nor merely as betrayal of an organization, but as a complex action that must be judged by careful ethical criteria.
With a background in human rights philosophy, applied ethics, and Kant’s practical philosophy, Boot examines whistleblowing in relation to duty, human dignity, moral responsibility, and the public good. Questions such as when a whistleblower should first use internal channels, what degree of danger or wrongdoing justifies disclosure, and whether whistleblowing can sometimes be an obligatory duty stand at the center of the book.
This book is suitable for students and researchers in moral philosophy, law, management, social sciences, and governance studies. It is also a useful and precise text for managers, organizational employees, journalists, and anyone concerned with corruption, transparency, conflicting loyalties, and public responsibility.