POL381H1F L5101

Topics in Political Theory

Violence and Political Theory

Themes

The state, according to Max Weber, owns a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. But violence in our world is hardly limited to states - we frequently see that state violence itself is only a response to the behaviour of violent individuals and groups. There are also increasing calls for attending to the violence inhering in “normal” practices like conceptual thinking, eating, gender roles, and even simply speaking. Are we then surrounded, even constituted, by violence? If so, is there any escape from its grip, or are we in effect fated to live violent lives? To address these issues we will explore four interrelated questions in detail: 1) What are the multiple meanings of violence? 2) Why do humans so frequently resort to violence? 3) What are the ethical issues surrounding the use of violent means? 4) Does the philosophy of nonviolence present us with a coherent alternative?

Texts

Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon; Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Humanism and Terror; Albert Camus, The Just Assassins; Andrea Dworkin, Intercourse; Violent Origins, ed. Robert Hamerton-Kelly; Konrad Lorenz, On Aggression; Hent de Vries, Violence and Religion; Joan Bondurant, Conquest of Violence.

Prerequisites

POL200Y1 or ?POL200Y5 or (POLC70H3 and POLC71H3)