The Origins of Violence: Religion, History and Genocide by John Docker
Shortlisted for the Ernest Scott Prize
In The Origins of Violence, John Docker draws from both classical and modern sources to explore why group violence - such as colonisation, conquest, massacre and genocide - has been an ongoing narrative in the history of humanity
Genocide is commonly understood to be a terrible aberration in human behaviour, performed by evil, murderous regimes such as the Nazis and dictators like Suharto and Pinochet. John Docker argues that the roots of genocide go far deeper into human nature than most people realise.
Genocide features widely in the Bible, the literature of ancient Greece and Rome, and debates about the Enlightenment. These texts are studied in depth to trace the origins of violence through time and across civilisations. Developing the groundbreaking work of Raphael Lemkin, who invented the term 'genocide', Docker guides us from the dawn of agricultural society, through classical civilisation to the present, showing that violence between groups has been integral to all periods of history.
This revealing book will be of great interest to those wishing to understand the roots of genocide and why it persists in the modern age.
Format: Paperback | 272 pages
Dimensions (cm): 21.5 x 13.5 x 1.5 | 338g
Publication Date: 01 Oct 2008
Publisher: University Of New South Wales Press
Publication City/Country: Sydney, Australia
Language: English
ISBN10: 086840974X
ISBN13: 9780868409740
Condition: Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including minor scuff marks along the edges, but no holes or tears. The majority of pages are undamaged with very minimal creasing, but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text and no writing in margins. No missing pages.