Violence and responsibility

Felix Ó Murchadha

pp. 245-262

in: Allyn Fives, Keith Breen (eds), Philosophy and political engagement, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016

Abstract

In this chapter, Ó Murchadha asks where the philosopher stands in relation to violence. Philosophical explorations typically claim a standpoint of neutrality. Is neutrality a responsible position to take with respect to violence? Ó Murchadha argues that violence by its nature disallows disengagement: the very claim to disengagement participates in violence. Drawing on The Book of Genesis, as well as the works of Agamben, Arendt, Husserl, Derrida, Leibniz, and Levinas, Ó Murchadha charts a middle way between those who aestheticise violence and those who claim to be free from all responsibility for violence. He argues that, in exploring violence philosophically, fundamental questions are raised regarding the responsibility of philosophy itself in ways which have relevance to the self-understanding of the philosopher.

Cited authors

Husserl Edmund

Derrida Jacques

Levinas Emmanuel

Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm

Arendt Hannah