Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty
In Sacred Violence, the distinguished political and legal theorist Paul W. Kahn investigates the reasons for the resort to violence characteristic of premodern states. In a startling argument, he contends that law will never offer an adequate account of political violence. Instead, we must turn to political theology, which reveals that torture and terror are, essentially, forms of sacrifice. Kahn forces us to acknowledge what we don't want to see: that we remain deeply committed to a violent politics beyond law.

Paul W. Kahn is Robert W. Winner Professor of Law and the Humanities at Yale Law School and Director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights.

Cover Illustration: "Abu Ghraib 67, 2005" by Fernando Botero. Courtesy of the artist and the American University Museum.

"1117249725"
Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty
In Sacred Violence, the distinguished political and legal theorist Paul W. Kahn investigates the reasons for the resort to violence characteristic of premodern states. In a startling argument, he contends that law will never offer an adequate account of political violence. Instead, we must turn to political theology, which reveals that torture and terror are, essentially, forms of sacrifice. Kahn forces us to acknowledge what we don't want to see: that we remain deeply committed to a violent politics beyond law.

Paul W. Kahn is Robert W. Winner Professor of Law and the Humanities at Yale Law School and Director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights.

Cover Illustration: "Abu Ghraib 67, 2005" by Fernando Botero. Courtesy of the artist and the American University Museum.

89.95 In Stock
Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty

Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty

by Paul W. Kahn
Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty

Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty

by Paul W. Kahn

Hardcover

$89.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

In Sacred Violence, the distinguished political and legal theorist Paul W. Kahn investigates the reasons for the resort to violence characteristic of premodern states. In a startling argument, he contends that law will never offer an adequate account of political violence. Instead, we must turn to political theology, which reveals that torture and terror are, essentially, forms of sacrifice. Kahn forces us to acknowledge what we don't want to see: that we remain deeply committed to a violent politics beyond law.

Paul W. Kahn is Robert W. Winner Professor of Law and the Humanities at Yale Law School and Director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights.

Cover Illustration: "Abu Ghraib 67, 2005" by Fernando Botero. Courtesy of the artist and the American University Museum.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780472070473
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication date: 08/04/2008
Series: Law, Meaning, And Violence
Pages: 248
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Paul W. Kahn is Robert W. Winner Professor of Law and the Humanities at Yale Law School and Director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights.

Table of Contents


Introduction: The Puzzle of Torture     1
Genealogical Inquiries     17
Torture and Sovereignty     21
Torture and International Law     42
The Current Debate: Torture in the War on Terror     70
Violence and the Architecture of the Political Imagination     91
A Primer on Political Violence     93
Crossing the Border between Law and Sovereignty     131
Conclusion: Torture, Terror, and Sacrifice     170
Notes     179
Index     207
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews