Terrorism for Humanity: Inquiries in Political Philosophy

by Ted Honderich

'Clear, rational and continuously interesting.' New Statesman 'A masterful argument.' Times Literary Supplement 'A series of essays on political violence and the nature and extent of our political obligations. Honderich . . . details the persisting inequalities and deprivations towards which violence of the left is typically addressed. . . . A courageous swim against the current.' The Times Ted Honderich is one of the world's foremost philosophers of the Left. This is a revised edition of his classic text, Violence for Equality, which became a benchmark in political philosophy when it was first published over twenty years ago. Now extensively revised and updated by Honderich, Terrorism for Humanity raises important questions about the uses and ethics of political violence -- questions that are all the more pertinent in the light of recent events & the 'war on terror'. What can be said for & against terrorism and political violence? When is such terrorism right, if it ever is, & when is it wrong? In six lucid essays, Honderich challenges the presuppositions, inconsistencies and prejudices of liberal-democratic thinking. He tackles such emotive subjects as the IRA, the PLO and the ANC, arguing the importance of understanding the justification for political violence in all manifestations. Exploring the moral issues that lie at the heart of these difficult questions, Honderich reminds us that political philosophy should be an attempt to inquire with an open mind -- & that to open one's mind is not necessarily to lose one's convictions. This remarkable book should be of interest to all teachers & students of philosophy & politics, & anyone who is curious to explore the theoretical framework of the morality of 'terrorism'.

Genres: Philosophy

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Edgar Dawn Ross "Ted" Honderich was a Canadian-born British philosopher, who was Grote Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London.

Reviews

[Spicy T AKA Mr. Tea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. This took me over 3 years to read--picking it up and putting it down. I read it cover to cover but my memory is vague on the first half. I finally finished it. While the content seems provocative, the actual text is just straight up philosophical argument. Definitely hard and since I'm in no way thinking along the lines of philosophical argument I was not prepared for this when I started it. The last 100 pages went by pretty quick. What is it? Hard to say. The author could have made this far more accessible. Too bad.