Terrorism

Catalog description

Politics is the study of power and its application, and hence the study of violence has always played a central role in the discipline. In the era of mass politics, violent political participation has been accentuated as evidenced by the prevalence of both domestic and international terrorism. The practice of terrorism itself has undergone changes in the new era and the appearance of groups and “lone wolfs “ bent on sowing death and destruction for its own sake is more common place. Moreover, the statelessness of today’s terrorists removes crucial restraints that once held even extreme terrorists in check. Perhaps more than any other organization, ISIS embodies these trends. It is therefore incumbent upon us to take a step away from the spectacular nature of the news, and ask fundamental questions concerning the motivations, modes of operation, and circumstances contributing to the appearance of terrorist movements, and the roles of the leaders as against the “foot soldiers” in such organizations. Special attention is laid on the emotional fervor of those engaged in the activity, the ideology that mobilizes them and rationalizes their behavior, within each case’s historical settings.