Concept
Violence
Overview
Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation"; it recognizes the need to include violence not resulting in injury or death.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Is violence or total surrender the only choice open to any people to whom Freedom or Justice is denied? Violence at a time when the whole world has learnt from bitter experience the futility of violence is unworthy of a country whose ancient people's privilege, it was, to see this truth long ago. Violence may rid a nation of its foreign masters but will only enslave it from inside. No nation can really be free which…
Mahatma Gandhi, Freedom's Battle Being a Comprehensive Collection of Writings and Speeches on the Present Situation
Names Violence several times; states what Violence is.
We are not conspiring, said Charmides, we have conspired already. And are you about to use violence, without even going through the forms of justice? Yes, I shall use violence, he replied, since he orders me; and therefore you had better consider well.
Plato, Charmides
Names Violence several times; states what Violence is.
So in acts of violence, where there is a wish to hurt, whether by reproach or injury; and these either for revenge, as one enemy against another; or for some profit belonging to another, as the robber to the traveller; or to avoid some evil, as towards one who is feared; or through envy, as one less fortunate to one more so, or one well thriven in any thing, to him whose being on a par with himself he fears, or…
of Hippo Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine
Names Violence twice; opens on Violence.
Philosophers who discussed Violence
Related ideas
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Robert L. Holmes
- Homicide
- Geneva
- Gender equality
- Child
- Philosophy
- Power (social and political)
- Slavoj Žižek
- Suicide
- Nonviolence
- Postcolonialism
- Archaeology
- Psychiatry
- Max Weber
- Psychology
- Pain
- World War II
- War
- Legal system
- Martin Heidegger
- Steven Pinker
- Public health
- Michel Foucault
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Consequentialism.