
How Terrorism Is Wrong
Morality and Political Violence
Virginia Held(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 15. May 2008
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-0-19-532959-9 (ISBN)
Description
What is terrorism? How is it different from other kinds of political violence? Why exactly is it wrong? Why is war often thought capable of being justified? On what grounds should we judge when the use of violence to be morally acceptable? It is often thought that using violence to uphold and enforce the rule of law can be justified, that violence used in self-defense is acceptable, and that some liberation movements can be excused for using violence--but that terrorism is always wrong. How persuasive are these arguments, and on what bases should we judge them?
How Terrorism is Wrong collects articles by Virginia Held that offer a moral assessment of various forms of political violence, with terrorism the focus of much of the discussion. Here and throughout, Held examines possible causes discussed, including the connection between terrorism and humiliation. Held also considers military intervention, conventional war, intervention to protect human rights, violence to prevent political change, and the status and requirements of international law. She looks at the cases of Rwanda, Kosovo, Iraq, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Finally, she explores questions of who has legitimate authority to engage in justifiable uses of violence, whether groups can be responsible for ethnic violence, and how the media should cover terrorism.
Held discusses appropriate ways of engaging in moral evaluation and improving our moral recommendations concerning the uses of violence. Just war theory has been developed for violence between the military forces of conflicting states, but much contemporary political violence is not of this kind. Held considers the guidance offered by such traditional moral theories as Kantian ethics and utilitarianism, and also examines what the newer approach of the ethics of care can contribute to our evaluations of violence. Care is obviously antithetical to violence since violence destroys what care takes pains to build; but the ethics of care recognizes that violence is not likely to disappear from human affairs, and can offer realistic understandings of how best to reduce it.
How Terrorism is Wrong collects articles by Virginia Held that offer a moral assessment of various forms of political violence, with terrorism the focus of much of the discussion. Here and throughout, Held examines possible causes discussed, including the connection between terrorism and humiliation. Held also considers military intervention, conventional war, intervention to protect human rights, violence to prevent political change, and the status and requirements of international law. She looks at the cases of Rwanda, Kosovo, Iraq, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Finally, she explores questions of who has legitimate authority to engage in justifiable uses of violence, whether groups can be responsible for ethnic violence, and how the media should cover terrorism.
Held discusses appropriate ways of engaging in moral evaluation and improving our moral recommendations concerning the uses of violence. Just war theory has been developed for violence between the military forces of conflicting states, but much contemporary political violence is not of this kind. Held considers the guidance offered by such traditional moral theories as Kantian ethics and utilitarianism, and also examines what the newer approach of the ethics of care can contribute to our evaluations of violence. Care is obviously antithetical to violence since violence destroys what care takes pains to build; but the ethics of care recognizes that violence is not likely to disappear from human affairs, and can offer realistic understandings of how best to reduce it.
Reviews / Votes
A volume that brings together Held's influential essays in the field is a welcome addition to the literature. * Christopher Finlay, Times Higher Education * I would strongly recommend Held's stimulating book as a fine contribution to philosophical discussion about the status of terrorism. * C. A. J. Coady, Mind *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
442 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-532959-9 (9780195329599)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2011
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€16.49
Available for download

E-Book
05/2008
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€17.49
Available for download
Person
Virginia Held is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York Graduate School. She taught for many years at Hunter College, and has had visiting appointments at Yale, Dartmouth, UCLA, and Hamilton. She is a past president of the American Philosophical Association (Eastern Division). Among her books are Rights and Goods: Justifying Social Action and The Ethics of Care: Personal, Political, and Global (Oxford).
Author
Distinguished Professor of PhilosophyDistinguished Professor of Philosophy, CUNY Graduate Center
Content
Introduction ; Chapter 1 - Terrorism and War ; Chapter 2 - Military Intervention and Terrorism ; Chapter 3 - Legitimate Authority in Non-State Groups Using Violence ; Chapter 4 - Terrorism, Rights, and Political Goals With Postscript ; Chapter 5 - Group Responsibility for Ethnic Conflict ; Chapter 6 - The Media and Political Violence ; Chapter 7 - The Moral Assessment of Violence and Terrorism ; Chapter 8 - Moral Inquiry, Action, and Care ; Acknowledgements ; Bibliography ; Index