Violence: Philosophical Selections, by Vittorio Boetti

This selection of philosophical articles on the nature of violence reveals the extent of philosophical interest in violence, as most of these articles were written by professional philosophers. Perhaps the two main questions that have been examined in all the articles contained in this book are: What is violence? And can violence be justified? These two questions are also fundamental to any empirical research in social sciences on violence rates. However, the contribution of philosophy is often equal to that of social sciences. According to the author, it is practically impossible to agree on finding a true justification for practicing violence. Therefore, the purpose of these selections is not to provide definitive answers to those questions but to remind the reader of their complexities in a simple way, highlighting the valuable contribution of philosophers to important issues across multiple generations. 581 pages