Harpur College of Arts & Sciences : June 21, 2002

Philosophy Professor's New Book Sheds Light on Violence

Violence is certainly a sensitive topic, especially in the wake of Sept. 11. But Bat-Ami Bar On, associate professor of philosophy, believes that violence must be made sense of. Her latest book, The Subject of Violence: Arendtean Exercises in Understanding (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002) explores different types of violence and subjects that arise when it is a part of life.

Bar On uses the writings of German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) as a springboard for her own thoughts. Bar On calls Arendt a "companion in thinking" because of the philosopher's firsthand experiences as a Jew in Nazi Germany: "In Arendt, I found a woman who is a subject of violence, who studied it, and to my initial relief, did not write in the literary fashion of autobiography," she said. Bar On also mentions Arendt's philosophical peers, such as Walter Benjamin and Emmanuel Levinas. "You get to see who she is against a background, but I didn't want her voice to be drowned," she explained.

Is violence ever justifiable? Bar On's goal as a writer was to make the reader consider this possibility. Her publisher charges The Subject of Violence with "finding an ethico-political language for violence that escapes the standard idioms in which violence is spoken." Bar On's first set of essays in the book, "Signs of Trauma," focuses on people who have experienced or witnessed it firsthand. The second group, "Shapes of Violence," is about genocide and national violence. The third section, "Ambiguous Alternatives," discusses martial arts -- specifically, people who intentionally study violent skills.

The Subject of Violence is written in a comfortable first-person viewpoint, which Bar On said is designed to allow readers to get past taboos and explore their own feelings. Although her academic colleagues are the primary audience, her intention was to write plainly enough for anyone interested in philosophy, feminism, Jewish history or the martial arts to understand.

Violence is at the forefront of Bar On's thinking because of her upbringing in Israel. "I was born in a war, I grew up during wars, I was a woman soldier during wars, and I grew up with terrorism," she said. "I come from a country that relies on its ability to use force, especially in the regional arena. I think, intellectually, violence is tricky, and we need to be extremely cautious, especially not to rely on it [to solve conflicts]. We need to rely on politics."

Bar On‘s name in Hebrew means "daughter of my people, daughter of power." It was bestowed upon her by Barkai, the Israel kibbutz into which she was born in 1948. Bar On grew up in Hadera, Israel, studied at Tel Aviv University, and came to the United States in 1972 to pursue a PhD at Ohio State. "Philosophy seemed to me, at the time, a place where one could do very conceptual work, elegantly," she said.

Since Sept. 11, Bar On, has been requested to write several essays on terrorism, a topic she has written about before. She is currently developing a collection of her essays on violence as well as a new book on "Just War" theory. Bar On has published several books and scholarly articles on the subjects of violence and trauma, political and social philosophy, and feminist political, social, and ethical theory.

Bar On has been at Harpur College since 1991 and received a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2000. She feels that she is as good a fit for the institution as it is for her. "I like Harpur College," she said. "Its size is extremely important in that it still gives a certain liberal arts feel to the University." She credits Harpur with curricular innovations by the faculty, a move toward increased globalization of the curriculum and outstanding preparation of students.