Ethics and Insights on Courage (original) (raw)
Courage in Dark Places: Reflections on Terrorist Psychology
2004
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, controversy erupted when a handful of American commentators argued that the al-Qaeda hijackers displayed courage in their actions. In all cases, these comments provoked fierce and overwhelming criticism. Yet, were these views inaccurate? Inflammatory and controversial the statements certainly were, but they did hit on an important point: can terrorists display and possess virtues such as courage? And if they can, what does this tell us about our understanding both of terrorist psychology and of courage as a virtue? This article reviews and considers the psychology of courage and the psychology of terrorists. It concludes that in many respects, the psychology of a terrorist is similar to that displayed by many combatants in other conflicts, and that terrorists can indeed display what is generally regarded as courage. The problem for many observers, however, is that this is courage in the service of terrorism: a positive virtue displayed for an ignoble end. Crucially, the article concludes that while, the ‘quality’ of courage may be widely regarded as noble, admirable and desirable, it is not reserved only for people we identify with, or for causes that we support or are sympathetic to. In conflict, our enemies are human. In-group and out-group stereotyping works to minimise such awareness and appreciation, but the reality is that our enemies are usually capable of all the human qualities. They can be cruel or gentle, malicious or considerate, selfish or generous, stupid or intelligent. They can also be courageous or cowardly.
Cowardice: a brief history, by Chris Walsh.
The coward–hero divide is deeply embedded in how we frame war and the actions of those who serve in the military. Chris Walsh explores how such differences determine beliefs in what constitutes human nature and social responsibility, particularly in a military context, in his book Cowardice: A Brief History.
Deterring the Undeterrable: Coercion, Denial, and Delegitimization in Counterterrorism
Journal of Strategic Studies, 2011
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Can CTS listen? Silences in terrorism and counter-terrorism
Contemporary Reflections on CTS, 2023
While silences have been important in CTS research, the analytical focus of most research in the field tends to remain on utterances. Silences often appear as a mere side effect of investigations preoccupied with discursive formations. In this chapter, we argue that CTS has much to gain from a closer engagement with silences. As we show in the chapter, silences can be related both to the exercise of power or its subversion and, because of this, focusing on silences would allow CTS to grasp practises that otherwise go unnoticed. Studying silence also opens up a critical space to reflect on epistemological practices that we often take for granted.
Terrorism-Risk-and-Self-Defense_-Review-the-Ethics-of-Self-Defense.pdf
Korstanje M. Commentary invited: Terrorism, Risk and Self Defence. . International Journal of Risk and Contingency Management (IJRCM). Volume 7, Issue 2 November 2018. Available at http://www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-risk-contingency-management. SUNY at Plattsburgh, & IGI Global, Hershey, Pennsylvania. ISSN 2160-9624
Counter-Terror Culture: Ambiguity, Subversion, or Legitimization
Security Dialogue, 2007
This article examines themes of terrorism and counter-terrorism in US popular culture, focusing on eight cinematic or televisual works from the pre-and post-9/11 environment. Each of these works explores the dilemmas posed by terrorism, counter-terrorist mobilization, and occupation and resistance in fictional spaces. Three of the works -24, The Agency, and The Grid -are narratives that attempt to simulate the activities of counter-terrorist operations in, respectively, a wholly fictional Counter Terrorist Unit; the Central Intelligence Agency; and ad hoc intelligence and tactical groups combing CIA, FBI, NSC, and MI5 agents. The other five works are more removed from an explicit attempt to mimic 'reality': The X-Files, The Matrix Trilogy, Alias, The 4400, and Battlestar Galactica. In all of these works, the dangers to human rights posed by both overt and covert security operations lie at the core of their narrative structures.
Scared selfish: a culture of fear’s values in the age of terrorism
The American Sociologist, 2004
In the Age of Terrorism fear becomes a constant companion. This is particularly true in a society already beset by a culture of fear. We explore some cognitive effects of fear induced by victimization to explain America's reaction to the events of 9/11. Using reliable measures of value orientations we find that exposure to violence produces a shift in value orientations toward values that are more self-enhancing. America's seemingly fractured state may be explained in part by this effect. "To him who is in fear everything rustles."-Sophocles The social psychology of terrorists is obviously fertile ground for theorizing given the social production of most modern terrorism. While some terrorists are disaffected loners (e.g. Theodore Kaczynski), more frequently terrorists are members of subordinate social groups that support an ideology of terror-as-resistance and influence some of its members to wreak violence on their oppressors. Social psychology offers general explanations for this influence, the effects oppression has on the affect and cognition of subordinate group members, how action is tailored to express those thoughts and feelings, and even how social psychological processes produce and maintain stratification systems in the first place. The social psychology of the terrorist and the oppressed group that produces the terrorist is thus a well-plowed field in sociology. Less understood are the social psychological effects of terrorism on the victims. Certainly, one cannot address the social psychology of terrorism's targets without addressing the role that fear plays in that social psychology. The bombings and shootings defined as terrorism occasionally have strategic goals, but the target of modern terrorism is the dominant population rather than its armed forces, govern-Mark Konty is an assistant professor of sociology at Washington State University where he researches crime and deviant behavior from social psychological perspectives. Blythe Duell received her B.S. in psychology from the University of Wyoming and her M.S. in psychology from Washington State University. She has presented research at a number of conferences including the American Psychological Society and Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Her research interests include pro-social and cooperative behavior, social dilemmas, and Terror Management Theory. Jeff Joireman is an assistant professor of Psychology at Washington State University and a former Fulbright Scholar. His research foci include decision-making in social dilemmas, pro-environmental behavior, terror management, aggression, empathy, social values, and the consideration of future consequences.
This article examines themes of terrorism and counter-terrorism in US popular culture, focusing on eight cinematic or televisual works from the pre-and post-9/11 environment. Each of these works explores the dilemmas posed by terrorism, counter-terrorist mobilization, and occupation and resistance in fictional spaces. Three of the works -24, The Agency, and The Grid -are narratives that attempt to simulate the activities of counter-terrorist operations in, respectively, a wholly fictional Counter Terrorist Unit; the Central Intelligence Agency; and ad hoc intelligence and tactical groups combing CIA, FBI, NSC, and MI5 agents. The other five works are more removed from an explicit attempt to mimic 'reality': The X-Files, The Matrix Trilogy, Alias, The 4400, and Battlestar Galactica. In all of these works, the dangers to human rights posed by both overt and covert security operations lie at the core of their narrative structures.