Terror, Terrorism, And The Human Condition

In an attempt to explore the impact of terrorism at its most basic level--that of sowing fear and anxiety--this book investigates our now centuries-long attraction to, and dread of, terror and its progeny, including terrorism, or political terror, and mass murder. It is also a call to thought, and an appeal to reasoned action. Charles Webel argues that while a "war" on terrorism cannot succeed in eliminating terror from our human condition, this does not mean that it cannot, and should not, be confronted by means other than war. If we are to survive, we need to create new, basically nonviolent, means to resolve conflicts and to reduce their lethality. In order to do this, we must first understand the roots of terrorism--the emotions and human psychology that drive it--so that we can better counteract it. Through interviews with survivors of terror, from the Holocaust, Dresden fire bombing, and Nagasaki to the 9/11 and Madrid attacks, Terror, Terrorism, and the Human Condition seeks to provide this understanding and to point our way toward a more hopeful future by providing concrete suggestions on how to combat terrorism without waging a "war on terror."

Charles Webel has taught social science and philosophy at UC Berkeley, Saybrook Graduate School, and Harvard University. He is series editor of Twenty-First Century Perspectives on War, Peace, and Human Conflict.

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