Just and Unjust Leaks: When to Spill Secrets

Michael Walzer, Professor Emeritus in the School of Social Science, details the intricacies of whistle-blowing, the moral risk-taking that is involved, and the contours of judging whether or not a disclosure is justified:

So long as there are secrets, whistle-blowing will remain a necessary activity. Whistleblowers have a role to play in a democratic political universe. But it is an unofficial role, and one must recognize both its possible value and its possible dangers.