Is Violence Ever Justified?

Is Violence Ever Justified?

Hypothesis: Violence is justified only when life and property are in jeopardy.

Explanation: Violence is defined as the act of causing physical harm to other people intentionally. This is not just morally and per state laws. However, acting violently when your life or property is at risk, has been considered just both morally and lawfully. Involving violence when you are on the verge of losing your life or property enables you to prevent the other party from killing you or causing severe physical harm to your body. Many people have escaped death, rescued loved ones from being harmed, and secured property by acting violently on people who are trying to harm them. Therefore, it is just to respond violently to protect life and property.

Support:

Acting violently as self-defence and protecting those we love is right.

1. Life is the most precious gift given to us by God, and we have to protect it at any cost. Acting violently in response to violence is a way of protecting life.
2. The people we love, such as children are weak and cannot defend themselves when they are subjected to violence.
3. More physical harm results in injuring of crucial body parts such as the head, spinal cord, and the ribs.
4. Physical abuse to the innocent and the vare at times witnessed in other societies such as racial and discriminative societies.

Acting violently to protect property or a country is right and just because it protects the treasures in the property or the state.

1. Most people like to destroy property or steal things from others in a violent way.
2. Terrorist and militia groups would want to destroy property such as buildings and hold citizens hostage to revenge on a country.
3. Countries might conflict with each other over border issues, and in turn, one country starts to attack the other by bombing structures and attacking innocent citizens

The government and society regard self-defence as just and a lawful way of protecting life.

1. Most law court in every country consider people who commit crimes in response to self-defence as innocent. That is when there is proof that the person acted in self-defence.
2. Most governments advocate self-defence training in schools such as Taekwondo and Martial Arts.
3. Most governments and societies allow their citizens to act violently in response to actions that are meant to cause more injury, unprovoked attacks, and fear of death.

Objections:

1. Child disciple by whipping using canes is accepted in many schools despite being a form of violence against the weak and innocent children.
2. Responding violently against police brutality is not considered as self-defence.
3. Domestic violence such as a man beating the wife or a child is regarded as just in some societies.
4. Many people have committed an intentional crime and have escaped in the name of self-defence.

Reply to Objections:

1. In this century, most countries have banned child disciple by whipping in schools and legal actions are usually taken when teachers use this method of discipline.
2. Citizens are always asked to cooperate with the police, and in the case of brutality, they should sue the police officer responsible and record the act so that it can be used as proof in the court of law.
3. Domestic violence is against the law in most countries, and affected family members are advised to report the acts to the authority. It is, therefore, the choice of an individual to report the case or not to report.
4. For the court to consider a violent action as self-defence, it requires proof and evidence; otherwise, it is a crime, and one should be punished for that.

References

Blumenthal, M. D., Kahn, R. L., Andrews, F. M., & Head, K. B. (1973). Justifying violence: Attitudes of American men. ISR Social Science Archive, Institute for Social Research.

Brennan, J. (2018). When the state is unjust, citizens may use justifiable violence – Jason Brennan | Aeon Ideas. Aeon. Retrieved 19 April 2020, from https://aeon.co/ideas/when-the-state-is-unjust-citizens-may-use-justifiable-violence.

Ferzan, K. K. (2007). Self-Defense and the State. Ohio St. J. Crim. L., 5, 449.

Frazer, E., Hutchings, K. (2019). Can Political Violence Ever Be Justified?. United Kingdom: Wiley.

Harmon, R. A. (2008). When is police violence justified. Nw. UL Rev., 102, 1119.

Hoffman, J. (1994). Is Political Violence Ever Justified?. Centre for the Study of Public Order, University of Leicester.

JACOBS, T. (2018). When Is Violence Acceptable?. Pacific Standard. Retrieved 19 April 2020, from https://psmag.com/social-justice/when-is-violence-acceptable.

Nielsen, K. (1981). On justifying violence. Inquiry, 24(1), 21-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/00201748108601924