Understanding Violence: Structural, Moral, and Divine
Structural Violence (Paul Farmer)
Definition:
Structural violence refers to the harm caused by social and economic structures that distribute power and resources unequally, resulting in the suffering of marginalized groups.
Key Concepts:
- Poverty and Inequality: Root causes of structural violence where unequal distribution of resources leads to suffering.
- Institutional Policies: Government and institutional actions that perpetuate marginalization and inequality.
- Manifestations: Lack of access to essential services like healthcare, housing, and education.
- Examples: Farmer’s work in Haiti and Rwanda showcases how political and economic choices lead to health inequalities and premature deaths.
Literary Application:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Gilgamesh’s tyrannical rule creates a social structure that benefits only himself, leaving citizens in suffering.
- The oppression and abuses of Gilgamesh demonstrate how power structures can create and maintain inequality.
Prometheus Bound
- Zeus’s punishment of Prometheus symbolizes the use of power to maintain control and perpetuate suffering.
- The deprivation of fire to humanity represents the withholding of resources and knowledge, similar to how modern policies can deny basic needs to the poor.
Moral Violence (Michael Walzer)
Definition:
Moral violence is the concept that violence can be morally justified if used in self-defense or to protect others from unjust aggression.
Key Concepts:
- Just and Unjust Wars: The differentiation between wars that can be morally justified and those that cannot, based on the reasons for violence and conduct in conflicts.
- Ethical Principles: The need to evaluate violence based on ethical considerations and specific circumstances.
- Historical Illustrations: Use of historical examples to illustrate morally justified violence.
Literary Application:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
- The violent confrontation between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is initially seen as a challenge to tyranny.
- Enkidu’s creation and subsequent fight with Gilgamesh lead to a positive transformation in Gilgamesh, suggesting that violence in self-defense or to protect others from oppression can be morally justified.
Prometheus Bound
- Zeus’s severe punishment of Prometheus does not align with moral violence as it is not an act of self-defense but an exertion of tyrannical power.
- Prometheus’s defiance, motivated by compassion for humanity, highlights the ethical dilemmas in evaluating the morality of violence.
Divine Violence (James R. Martel)
Definition:
Divine violence refers to the intervention by higher beings or divinities that challenge and dismantle existing human laws and power structures, aiming to restore a higher moral order.
Key Concepts:
- Walter Benjamin’s Theory: The idea that divine violence transcends human justice and operates beyond legal norms.
- Restoring Moral Order: The use of violence by divinities to destroy injustices and oppressive structures.
- Challenge to Legitimacy: Divine violence questions the legitimacy of human-established laws and norms.
Literary Application:
The Epic of Gilgamesh
- The gods’ intervention through the creation of Enkidu to challenge Gilgamesh’s tyranny exemplifies divine violence.
- Enkidu’s role is to disrupt the human-established order and guide Gilgamesh towards a more just rule, reflecting the higher moral authority of the gods.
Prometheus Bound
- Prometheus’s gift of fire to humanity symbolizes an act of divine violence against Zeus’s authoritarian rule.
- The punishment of Prometheus by Zeus represents a divine conflict where Prometheus’s suffering aims to benefit humanity, aligning with the concept of divine violence seeking to dismantle oppressive power structures.
Conclusion
Understanding Violence:
- Structural violence emphasizes the systemic nature of suffering caused by inequities.
- Moral violence focuses on the ethical justification of violence in specific contexts.
- Divine violence highlights interventions by higher moral authorities to challenge human laws and power structures.
Literary Insights:
- These theories offer a nuanced framework for analyzing the complex nature of violence in literature.
- They encourage deeper reflection on the broader implications of control, war, injustice, and ethical behavior in human society.
Implications for Society:
Farmer, Walzer, and Martel’s theories provide critical insights into the ongoing struggle for equality, ethical conduct, and higher moral order in the face of violence and oppression.