Power and the Question of Legitimation

This course attempts to address these issues focusing on the problem of legitimation. In a time in which violence infiltrates our public and private lives, it is important to question when and under what circumstances, if any, violence can be employed legitimately. However, before addressing these issues, it is first necessary to examine the meaning of the term violence, to look at the conditions which give rise to violent action and to examine the variety of contests in which violence flourished in the 20th century, students will be challenged to reflect on these issues, considering how they inform not only our past, but also our future.