Description
Book SynopsisDevelops a coherent theory of nonviolent political action in the context of Western political theory. Ian Atack identifies the contribution of nonviolence to political theory through connecting central characteristics of nonviolent action to fundamental debates about the role of power and violence in politics. This in turn provides a platform for going beyond historical and strategic accounts of nonviolence to a deeper understanding of its transformative potential.From Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King to toppled communist regimes in Eastern Europe and pro-democracy movements in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine, nonviolent action has played a significant role in achieving social and political change in the last century. The Arab Spring revolutions, particularly those in Tunisia and Egypt, and the Occupy movement in the US and UK demonstrate that nonviolence continues to be a vital feature of many campaigns for democracy, human rights and social justice.
Table of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter 1: Theorists and practitioners of nonviolence; Chapter 2: Violence and nonviolence in Western political theory; Chapter 3: Nonviolence, the state and civil society; Chapter 4: Nonviolence and civil disobedience; Chapter 5: Nonviolence and pacifism; Chapter 6: Nonviolence and political power; Chapter 7: A political theory of nonviolence; Conclusion.
