benlehman

Oh, interesting question! One of the reasons it is so interesting is that I know exactly what I mean when I say it, but I find that I'm having trouble expressing it.

First, violence is objective. It isn't a question of state of mind, you do not have to intend violence to do violence. That's pretty important to my definition. That said, I think that violence is highly circumstantial (more on that below).

Second, I'm not sure that I agree that violence is about violation despite the shared root. The problem is that I don't know exactly what it is about. Is striking someone always violent? I'm not sure... A playful punch to the shoulder is clearly different from an injurious attack on the shoulder, but is it a difference of degree or a difference of kind? What about a playful punch to the shoulder of someone who really doesn't want you punching them in the shoulder playfully?

So, to me, I find that violence is like obscenity: "I'll know it when I see it." But that doesn't satisfy me, I'd love to be able to articulate it. I'm going to watch this thread, maybe someone will say something that helps me out.

Thomas