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Is politics necessarily violent? Does the justifiability of violence depend on whether it is perpetrated to defend or upend the existing order – or perhaps on the way in which it is conducted? Is violence simply direct physical harm, or can it also be structural, symbolic, or epistemic? In this book, Elizabeth Frazer and Kimberley Hutchings explore how political theorists, from Niccolo Machiavelli to Elaine Scarry, have addressed these issues. They engage with both defenders and critics of violence in politics, analysing their diverse justificatory and rhetorical strategies in order to draw out the enduring themes of these debates. They show how political theorists have tended to evade the central difficulties raised by violence by either reducing it to a neutral tool or identifying it with something quite distinct, such as justice or virtue. They argue that, because violence is necessarily wrapped up with hierarchical and exclusive structures and imaginaries, legitimising it in terms of the ends that it serves, or how it is perpetrated, no longer makes sense.

Violence – from state coercion to wars and revolutions – remains an enduring global reality. But whereas it is often believed that the point of constitutional politics is to make violence unnecessary, others argue that it is an unavoidable element of politics. In this lucid and erudite book, Elizabeth Frazer and Kimberly Hutchings address these issues using vivid contemporary and historic examples. They carefully explore the strategies that have been deployed to condone violence, either as means to certain ends or as an inherent facet of politics. Examining the complex questions raised by different types of violence, they conclude that, ultimately, all attempts to justify political violence fail. This book will be essential introductory reading for students and scholars of the ethics and politics of political violence.

Concepts and theory: political sociology and European study / S. Duchesne, E. Frazer, F. Haegel and V. Van Ingelgom -- National frames: reactions to a multi-level world / F. Haegel -- Social gap: the double meaning of 'overlooking' / S. Duchesne -- When ambivalence meets indifference / V. Van Ingelgom -- Representation and legitimation / E. Frazer and V. Van Ingelgom -- Reflections on design and implementation / S. Duchesne, E. Frazer, A.-P. Frognier, G. Garcia, F. Haegel, and V. Van Ingelgom -- Conclusion: citizens talking about Europe / S. Duchesne, E. Frazer, F. Haegel and V. Van Ingelgom -- Post script: searching for the grail / A.-P. Frognier