Political Self-Sacrifice: Agency, Body and Emotion in International Relations (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, Series Number 125)

Apologies pervade our news headlines and our private affairs, but how should we evaluate these often vague and deceptive rituals? Discussing numerous examples from ancient and recent history, I Was Wrong: On The Meanings of Apologies argues that we suffer from considerable confusion about the moral meanings and social functions of these complex interactions. Rather than asking whether a speech act “is or is not” an apology, Smith offers a nuanced theory of apologetic meaning. Smith leads us with a clear voice though a series of rich philosophical and interdisciplinary questions, arguing that apologies have evolved from a confluence of diverse cultural and religious practices that do not translate easily into pluralistic secular discourse. After describing several varieties of apologies between individuals, Smith turns to collectives. Although apologies from corporations, governments, and other groups can be profoundly significant, Smith guides readers to appreciate the kinds of meaning that collective apologies often do not convey and warns of the dangers of collective acts of contrition that allow individual wrongdoers to obscure their personal blame. Dr. Smith is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of New Hampshire. A graduate of Vassar College, he earned a law degree from SUNY at Buffalo and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to UNH, he worked as a litigator for LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene, and MacRae and as a judicial clerk for the Honorable R.L. Nygaard of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He specializes in the philosophy of Law, Politics, and Society and he writes on and teaches aesthetics. He is working with Cambridge University Press on the sequel to I Was Wrong, applying his framework for apologetic meanings to examples in criminal and civil law. His writings have appeared in journals such as Continental Philosophy Review, Social Theory and Practice, The Journal of Social Philosophy, Culture, Theory & Critique, The Rutgers Law Journal, and The Buffalo Law Review. Over the last decade the increasing phenomenon of suicide terrorism has raised questions about how it might be rational for individuals to engage in such acts. This book examines a range of different forms of political self-sacrifice, including hunger strikes, self-burning and non-violent martyrdom, all of which have taken place in resistance to foreign interference. Karin Fierke sets out to study the strategic and emotional dynamics that arise from the image of the suffering body, including political contestation surrounding the identification of the victim as a terrorist or martyr, the meaning of the death as suicide or martyrdom and the extent to which this contributes to the reconstruction of community identity. 'Political Self-Sacrifice' offers a counterpoint to rationalist accounts of international terrorism in terrorist and security studies, and is a novel contribution to the growing literature on the role of emotion and trauma in international politics. Introduction Part I. The Framework: 1. Political self-sacrifice 2. Agency 3. Body and emotion Part II. The Historical Cases: 4. Hunger strikes in Northern Ireland, 1980-1 5. Martyrdom in Poland, 1984 6. Self-immolation in Vietnam, 1963 Part III. Comparisons and Conclusions: 7. Martyrdom in the contemporary Middle East and north Africa 8. The public diplomacy of suffering. Examines the theoretical and strategic issues which arise from different forms of political self-sacrifice, including political contestation surrounding the identification of the victim as a terrorist or martyr, the meaning of the death as suicide or martyrdom and the extent to which this contributes to the reconstruction of community identity. Political Self-sacrifice -- Agency -- Body And Emotion -- Hunger Strikes In Northern Ireland, 1980-1981 -- Martyrdom In Poland, 1984 -- Self-immolation In Vietnam, 1963 -- Martyrdom In The Contemporary Middle East And North Africa -- The Public Diplomacy Of Suffering. K.m. Fierke. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 248-273) And Index. This book examines a variety of different forms of political self-sacrifice, including hunger strikes, self-burning, and non-violent martyrdom