The Phenomenology of Terrorism: The Conditional Counterviolence as a
Relational Phenomenon
Abstract
Whether ends justify all violent means or only conditional violent
means? The phenomenological analysis of terrorism prepares a way for
looking accurately at how one can make sense of a major transition from
an engagement to a disengagement of society. Phenomenologically
speaking, Violent acts are interpreted based on intentional experience
that conducts the social roots of violence towards an intersubjective
relationship between oneself and the Other, understood as Ego and alter
Ego. The connection between the I and the Others emanates from two
phenomenal concepts of love and hatred. On the one hand, These two
concepts have bonded with the freedom of their subjects, so both the I
and the Others should be in permanent violence to keeping their freedom.
On the other hand, the phenomenological concept of terrorism is examined
through the justification of relational violent means, rather than an
absolute violence. The main core of this paper is centralized on the
formula of Trotsky who asserts ‘ends justify means.‘ However, it must be
differentiated between terrorists’ actions that unconditionally use
means and conditional violent actions, used by relational violent means.
The latter wants to achieve some goals, such as restoring the
self-respect and the personal identity of victims of terrorism, as well
as decolonizing and protecting territories. Counterviolence, such as
defending our national identity, is necessary to achieve these goals,
but it should not be led to assassinating all humans, both civilians and
statesmen. The contemporary violence can be thought of as a modern
slavery such that it overlooks the idea that all humans are born free.
Therefore, counterviolence is permissible without any extreme violence
through different methods, such as protesting or making a real
international court without any directorial and commanding aspects on
behalf of colonialist leaders./div