Terrorism and Collective Responsibility

<strong>Terrorism and Collective Responsibility</strong> is the first fulllength examinationof terrorism written by a philosopher. In this controversial study B... » 

Terrorism and Collective Responsibility is the first fulllength examinationof terrorism written by a philosopher. In this controversial study BurleighTaylor Wilkins relates terrorism to the problem of collective responsibilityand makes the provocative claim that terrorism may be morally justifiable undercertain circumstances.Wilkins suggests that the popular characterization of terrorists as criminalsdoes not take into account the reasons that terrorists resort to violence andmaintains that terrorism should be distinguished from ordinary criminalactivity. Wilkins discusses various models of collective responsibility andrelates terrorism to the just war tradition. Central to the book is theauthors claim that terrorism cannot be understood apart from the problem ofthe collective responsibility of organized groups such as political statesfor wrongdoings committed against the groups which the terrorists represent.Original in its thesis and timely in its examination of an issue crucial totodays world this book will appeal to anyone interested in the moral issuessurrounding terrorism. «