The Exercise of Violence within the Framework of Organized Society
Abstract
This article examines the complex nature of violence in organized society, challenging its purely negative connotation by analyzing it through the lens of intention and social utility. The author explores how violence can function as a regulatory mechanism to preserve or re-establish social justice when equality regarding life, liberty, and property is compromised. Drawing on the theories of John Stuart Mill, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Locke, the paper discusses the tension between individual freedom and state authority. It further analyzes Herbert Marcuse’s critique of peaceful protest, suggesting that non-violent resistance often remains ineffective against institutionalized state violence. Finally, the author invokes Anaximander’s concept of natural justice to propose that social conflicts between the state and its citizens are part of a cyclical process aimed at achieving a new equilibrium. The study concludes that violence may acquire a positive meaning when its ultimate purpose is the restoration of social balance for the collective good.
Article Details
- How to Cite
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Smyrnakis , N. (2020). The Exercise of Violence within the Framework of Organized Society . Ηθική. Περιοδικό φιλοσοφίας, (2), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.22648
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- No. 2 (2006)
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- Articles
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