Jon was the guest on our terrorism episode, which has unfortunately become timely again. In light of the events in Boston he was asked to write about the nature of modern terrorism in the Huffington post; read the article here. As he did in our episode, he stresses in the article the need to rationally understand the nature of modern terrorism in order to respond to it Continue Reading …
Tolerance, Repression and Terrorism
In 1965 Herbert Marcuse published an article entitled "Repressive Tolerance" in the collection A Critique of Pure Tolerance. The critique of modern society he presents in this paper will not be new to anyone familiar with his work or with the work of others from the first generation of the so-called Frankfurt School: the administered society, the systematic moronization of Continue Reading …
Carl von Clausewitz’s Non-Existent “War in the Abstract” vs. Donald Black’s “Pure Terrorism”
As is usual, I think, when we do a topic-oriented podcast as opposed to one that really focuses on a text (see also the ones on humor and fame), our episode on terrorism didn't really do justice to all the readings we as a group all read. In particular, I feel like I need to elaborate on Jonathan's comment about "pure terrorism" from Black and how this related, as a Continue Reading …
Dena Hurst on the Ethics of Terrorism
I expect YouTube will have some good sources for us about terrorism and philosophy. Here's my first bit unearthed, a 4min lecture from Dena Hurst that appears to be part of a longer ethics class. Watch on YouTube. The video gives a definition that, like Corlett's, tries not to decide the moral issue beforehand: "Using violent acts with the intention to intimidate or Continue Reading …
PREVIEW-Episode 72: Terrorism with Jonathan R. White
This is a short preview of the full episode. Buy Now Purchase this episode for $2.99. Or become a PEL Citizen for $5 a month, and get access to this and all other paywalled episodes, including 68 back catalogue episodes; exclusive Part 2's for episodes published after September, 2020; and our after-show Nightcap, where the guys respond to listener email and chat more Continue Reading …
Episode 72: Terrorism with Jonathan R. White (Citizens Only)
We're joined by an international terrorism expert to discuss how to define terrorism and whether it can ever be ethical. We read: -Donald Black's "The Geometry of Terrorism" (2004) -J. Angelo Corlett's "Can Terrorism be Morally Justified?" (1996) -Igor Primoratz's article on terrorism in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2007, revised 2011) -Karl Heinzen's Murder Continue Reading …
Topic for #72: Terrorism!
Apparently Jonathan R. White, international terrorism expert and author of many books on the subject, is a big fan of P.E.L., and he contacted us a while back and agreed to come on the show and talk about some articles on philosophical issues involving terrorism with us. We recorded this on the evening of 2/19/13. Listen to the episode. White's selection is meant to Continue Reading …