Nonviolent Resistance

Beschreibung

We see nonviolent resistance all over today's world, fromEgypt's Tahrir Square to New York Occupy. Although wethink of the last century as one marked by wars and violentconflict, in fact it was just as much a century of nonviolence asthe achievements of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. andpeaceful protests like the one that removed Ferdinand Marcos fromthe Philippines clearly demonstrate. But what is nonviolence? What makes a campaign a nonviolent one, and how does it work? What values does it incorporate? In this unique study, Todd May, a philosopher who has himselfparticipated in campaigns of nonviolent resistance, offers thefirst extended philosophical reflection on the particular andcompelling political phenomenon of nonviolence. Drawing onboth historical and contemporary examples, he examines the conceptand objectives of nonviolence, and considers the different dynamicsof nonviolence, from moral jiu-jitsu to nonviolent coercion. May goes on to explore the values that infuse nonviolent activity,especially the respect for dignity and the presupposition ofequality, before taking a close-up look at the role of nonviolencein today's world. Students of politics, peace studies, and philosophy, politicalactivists, and those interested in the shape of current politicswill find this book an invaluable source for understanding one ofthe most prevalent, but least reflected upon, political approachesof our world.

Autor*in

Todd May

Themen in »Nonviolent Resistance«

Continental Philosophy Gesellschaftliche Bewegungen, Bürgerbewegungen Gewaltloser Widerstand Kontinentalphilosophie Philosophie Philosophy Political Philosophy & Theory Political Science Politikwissenschaft Politische Philosophie u. Politiktheorie Social Movements / Activism

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Todd May persuasively advances our understanding of nonviolentresistance through his examination of the values of"dignity" and "equality". Drawing onnumerous examples and lines of thought, he demonstrates that thesevalues almost always underlie nonviolent resistance and contributeto its unique power relative to violence and institutionalpolitics. He adeptly weaves social science and philosophy to leavethe reader with a deep understanding of nonviolence. Kurt Schock, Rutgers University The last 40 years has seen the growth of a large and valuableliterature on nonviolence from social scientists, legal scholars,and activists. One group largely absent from this growingconversation have been philosophers. Todd May's magnificent newbook remedies this by bringing the very best of contemporaryphilosophical theory into active conversation with the concerns andperspective of an experienced activist. This is no mere abstracttheoretical discussion. Rather, May shows with both erudition andsubtlety why the concerns of political philosophy actually matterto the work of nonviolent action for social change. Thisground-breaking work is required reading for both scholars andintellectually engaged practitioners. Mark Lance, Georgetown University
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