Would you feel any differently about the actions of Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, or Julian Assange if you knew what they really thought?  Sean Wilentz, a historian at Princeton University, poses this intriguing question in this exposé in the latest issue of the venerable and left-leaning New Republic. A larger and more difficult question, however, is what role should intent play in law and morality? Should one’s intent or motivation count for something in judging either the ethics or legality of one’s actions? And if so, how much?

Hat tip: digg.com.