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The Phenomenology of Terrorism: The Conditional Counterviolence as a Relational Phenomenon
  • Fahimeh Dehbashi
Fahimeh Dehbashi
The University of Western Ontario

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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