Enemies of All Humankind
Publisher: Dartmouth College Press
Published: 2017
Place of publication: Hanover, NH, USA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 287
ISBN-13: 9781512600155; 9781512600759
Subjects: Literature & literary studies
Description: Hostis humani generis, meaning ?enemy of humankind,? is the legal basis by which Western societies have defined such criminals as pirates, torturers, or terrorists as beyond the pale of civilization. Sonja Schillings argues that this legal fiction does more than characterize certain persons as inherently hostile: it provides a narrative basis for legitimating violence in the name of the state. The work draws attention to a century-old narrative pattern that not only underlies the legal category of enemies of the state, but more generally informs interpretations of imperial expansion, protest against government-sponsored oppression, and the transformation of institutions as ?legitimate? interventions on behalf of civilized society.
Notes: Knowledge Unlatched 100123 KU Select 2016 Front List Collection

English.