ABSTRACT
Civil servants are often made to swear an oath to respect the confidential nature of certain documents they encounter in the course of their work. Consequently, classified public whistleblowing can be considered pro tanto wrongful, because it constitutes a breach of promissory obligations. Several philosophers in the civil disobedience debate have challenged the idea that promises give rise to an obligation to keep them. The chapter argues that promissory obligations are defeasible, pro tanto obligations and, as such, are liable to be defeated by countervailing moral reasons. Viewing the breach of promissory obligations as one of the reasons for judging classified public whistleblowing to be pro tanto wrongful allows to understand the difference in treatment between whistleblowers and journalists. “Role obligations” are hereby understood as a particular species of the genus “special obligations.” Role obligations do not pertain to all persons; instead, their scope is limited to those who have taken on a particular role.
