Violence

Trade paperback. In a conversational interview format, this title approaches the philosophical response to the violence of our historical moment, with the authors speaking to Oliver Stone, Simon Critchley, David Theo Goldberg and other thinkers from philosophy, politics and culture.

Violence: Humans in Dark Times

Chapter Synopsis

Humans in Dark Times: An Introduction by Brad Evans & Natasha Lennard

This is an introduction to the many forms of violence to be discussed in this anthology. Brad Evans and Natasha Lennard assert that it is of utmost importance to develop an engaged critique of violence. Violence is more than something abstract or theoretical, they say; it is a concrete violation of what it means to be human, "an attack upon a person's dignity, their sense of selfhood, and their future. It is nothing less than the desecration of one's position in the world. . . ." Evans' and Lennard's goal with this anthology is to set in motion conversations between various actors and agencies of the intellectual and creative world in order to think about and develop an adequate critique of violence.

Thinking Against Violence: Natasha Lennard & Brad Evans

Natasha Lennard and Brad discuss the ubiquity of violence. Violence, says Evans, is the defining organizational principle for contemporary societies; they are structured around it. It matters less whether we are actual victims of violence, since we live in fear of it, and this rules the way we function. Evans goes on to discuss two types of violence - the subtle, in which "disposable" populations experience continued and widespread suffering and are, for the most part, forgotten; and the spectacle, in which real events and cultural productions alike receive massive amounts of attention. Spectacular violence can end up prioritizing certain forms of suffering, which Evans believes is highly unethical. Violence is not merely the physical or even the psychological; it can take multiple forms, and it extends to extreme neglect and preventable suffering. Thus, it is important for us to dig deeper than

individual events and understand the systemic and human dimensions of violence.

Theater of Violence: Brad Evans & Simon Critchley

This conversation focuses on the "direct" or physical form of violence. Critchley asserts that violence is never an isolated act that breaks a continuum of nonviolence; it is instead part of a historical cycle of violence and counter-violence. Belief in a right and a wrong legitimizes violence, turns justice into revenge. This is where theater, namely tragedy, helps. Ancient tragedy allowed Greeks to see their roles in the context of a history of violence. Shakespeare's work showed the complexity of vengeance and the sequence of events that can lead to it. Evans and Critchley refer to sport as a type of theatrical violence, violence "refined and elevated," and an example of how violence can be both "made spectacular and harnessed for nonviolent ends," that is, spectators experience the excitement of violence without its repercussions. This potential for nonviolence can also be found, Critchley says, in art, as it offers an account of violence alongside the possibility of its suspension.

The Perils of Being a Black Philosopher: Brad Evans & George Yancy

George Yancy's race-centered argument is that discursive violence is just as powerful as physical violence, that insults and slurs are just as effective in causing injury. The violence against black people, perpetuated under white supremacy, is historical and systemic. Black people live with the understanding that they are finite; even within the everyday, their lives are threatened (example: police brutality). The black body and other bodies of color are disposable. Yancy says that a movement beyond the civil rights movement, one that will shake the country to the core, is needed. The interview ends with Yancy addressing the issue of complicity -in order to

truly overcome violence, we must also expose the types of violence that are not necessarily visible, the violence that quietly surrounds us every day.

The Refugee Crisis is Humanity's Crisis: Brad Evans & Zygmunt Bauman

Zygmunt Bauman's interview focuses on refugee crises. He says that in the middle of th