THE CONTRASTING ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TERRORISM IN THE 1980S

In: Terrorism and political violence, Band 1, Heft 3, S. 361-377

Abstract

THIS ARTICLE ARGUES THAT THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THE ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TERRORISM HAVE CHANGED AND THAT THIS CHANGE MORE ACCURATELY ACCOUNTS FOR TERRORISM'S GROWING LETHALITY. IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN EMERGING TREND, TERRORISM IS INCREASINGLY PERPETRATED BY GROUPS WITH A DOMINANT RELIGIOUS COMPONENT IN CONTRAST TO THE LARGELY POLITICALLY ORIENTED GROUPS OF THE PAST TWO DECADES. TERRORISM MOTIVATED BY A RELIGIOUS IMPERATIVE HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE CONSIDERABLY LESS DISCRIMINATE THAN TERRORISM MOTIVATED BY OSTENSIBLY POLITICAL AIMS; CONSEQUENTLY, IT ENCOMPASSES A FAR WIDER CHOICE OF TARGETS AND, INDEED, OF VICTIMS AS WELL. DISTINCTIONS BASED ON IDEOLOGICAL POLARITY (FOR EXAMPLE, LEFT VERSUS RIGHT) OR ON NATIONALIST OR IRREDENTIST AIMS NO LONGER USEFULLY DESCRIBE THE WAY TERRORISTS JUSTIFY THEIR VIOLENT CAMPAIGNS.