The Catholic Peace Weekly's Philosopher's Chat column invites us to examine the violence we encounter daily in our lives through the eyes of a philosopher.
The philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) diagnosed the 20th century as the 'century of violence.' However, this diagnosis seems valid not only for the 20th century but also today. Despite the various kinds of violence frequently occurring around us, threatening our daily lives, people are not only indifferent but even numb to it. The more serious problem is that people perceive these violent situations as normal. As a result, individuals might be exposed to violence without even properly recognizing that they are victims, while perpetrators may engage in violence without awareness.
Legal punishment often proves to be weak and ineffective. Interestingly, Arendt finds the root cause of this violence in the absence of human 'thought'. She warns that there is an essential relationship between violence and 'thoughtlessness,' and that a society lacking in thought can bring about destruction and violence greater than all the evils combined. According to Arendt, the violent nature of evil seeping into our daily lives is not particularly special but rather even quite banal. Arendt defines this phenomenon as the 'banality of evil.'
However, if violence arises from the absence of thought, as Arendt claims, why are we unable to engage in normal thought to avoid violence? One contributing factor, as Arendt argues, is that modern society places more importance on impersonal relationships in the 'private sphere' rather than the personal dialogues in the 'public sphere'.
More specifically, the 'misuse of language', 'lack of empathy for others', and 'blind obedience to power' act as major obstacles to our ability to think correctly. Among these, the misuse of language that distorts facts prevents people from seeing the essence of situations, leading to a lack of empathy and a tendency toward blind obedience.
However, if violence arises from a lack of thought, as Arendt argues, why are we unable to engage in rational thinking to avoid violence? This is partly due to the modern social characteristic that places greater emphasis on relationships in the 'private sphere,' which prioritizes impersonal interactions over the 'public sphere' of interpersonal dialogue, as Arendt asserts. Specifically, 'misuse of language,' 'lack of empathy for others,' and 'blind obedience to power' act as significant barriers to our ability to think correctly.
Among these, the misuse of language that distorts facts serves as the primary factor that conceals and incites violence by preventing people from seeing the essence of the situation, leading to a lack of empathy and blind obedience. Such acts are often politically motivated in modern society and are carried out with the help of the media. The seriousness of the misuse of language lies in the fact that it justifies violent actions, allowing people to commit horrific collective violence against individuals or the masses without any pangs of conscience.
Language creates certain representations through symbols and meanings, and incorrect representations distort reality. For this reason, we need to pay attention to the misuse of language that conceals and incites violence. To achieve this, it is crucial to expand the public sphere of interpersonal dialogue beyond the private sphere, creating a society where the free expression of opinions is possible.
As societies where interpersonal dialogue and empathy towards others are exercised tend to reduce violence, we must be particularly vigilant about actions that require blind obedience to power without dialogue, as these can lead to 'totalitarian violence.'We must remain alert and awake against this age of violence. Violence can only be eradicated when we think and judge correctly. To end violence, above all, we must cultivate our own ability to think correctly. Only then can humanity move towards what Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) described as an 'age of recognizing violence'.
