From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence
Do the various ascriptions of “violence,” e.g., to rape, logical reasoning, racist legislation, unqualified statements, institutions of class and/or gender inequity, etc., mean something identically the same, something analogous, or equivocal and context-bound? This paper argues for both an analogou...
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doaj-9d4a1edb78f1492eaa20d74df5c1b78b2021-01-02T10:09:03ZengUniversity of WarsawEidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture2544-302X2544-302X2017-09-0111396010.26319/EIDOS-001-PHENOMENOLOGY-OF-VIOLENCEFrom Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of ViolenceJames G. Hart0Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana, USADo the various ascriptions of “violence,” e.g., to rape, logical reasoning, racist legislation, unqualified statements, institutions of class and/or gender inequity, etc., mean something identically the same, something analogous, or equivocal and context-bound? This paper argues for both an analogous sense as well as an exemplary essence and finds support in Aristotle’s theory of anger as, as Sokolowski has put it, a form of moral annihilation, culminating in a level of rage that crosses a threshold. Here we adopt Sartre’s analysis of the “threshold of violence” as indicating a basic “existential” possibility wherein persons may and do adopt a posture of anti-god. This has considerable symmetry with the mythic and theological figure in the Abrahamic religions who is called “Lucifer.” This personage, at a unique timeless moment, found himself empowered to assume the right to exercise an infinite will-act which tolerated no superior normative perspective. I argue that this mythic stance is a live option for persons. Further, modern day nation-state military preparedness, where nuclear weaponry is a major tool of foreign policy, is a way of putting on ice and holding in reserve, but button ready, the onto-logical madness of the Luciferian moment.http://eidos.uw.edu.pl/from-moral-annihilation-to-luciferism-aspects-of-a-phenomenology-of-violence/violencemoral and ontological annihilationluciferismotheraristotlesartresokolowski |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
James G. Hart |
spellingShingle |
James G. Hart From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture violence moral and ontological annihilation luciferism other aristotle sartre sokolowski |
author_facet |
James G. Hart |
author_sort |
James G. Hart |
title |
From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence |
title_short |
From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence |
title_full |
From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence |
title_fullStr |
From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence |
title_full_unstemmed |
From Moral Annihilation to Luciferism: Aspects of a Phenomenology of Violence |
title_sort |
from moral annihilation to luciferism: aspects of a phenomenology of violence |
publisher |
University of Warsaw |
series |
Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture |
issn |
2544-302X 2544-302X |
publishDate |
2017-09-01 |
description |
Do the various ascriptions of “violence,” e.g., to rape, logical reasoning, racist legislation, unqualified statements, institutions of class and/or gender inequity, etc., mean something identically the same, something analogous, or equivocal and context-bound? This paper argues for both an analogous sense as well as an exemplary essence and finds support in Aristotle’s theory of anger as, as Sokolowski has put it, a form of moral annihilation, culminating in a level of rage that crosses a threshold. Here we adopt Sartre’s analysis of the “threshold of violence” as indicating a basic “existential” possibility wherein persons may and do adopt a posture of anti-god. This has considerable symmetry with the mythic and theological figure in the Abrahamic religions who is called “Lucifer.” This personage, at a unique timeless moment, found himself empowered to assume the right to exercise an infinite will-act which tolerated no superior normative perspective. I argue that this mythic stance is a live option for persons. Further, modern day nation-state military preparedness, where nuclear weaponry is a major tool of foreign policy, is a way of putting on ice and holding in reserve, but button ready, the onto-logical madness of the Luciferian moment. |
topic |
violence moral and ontological annihilation luciferism other aristotle sartre sokolowski |
url |
http://eidos.uw.edu.pl/from-moral-annihilation-to-luciferism-aspects-of-a-phenomenology-of-violence/ |
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