"I have shown in detail that every state is founded on violence and cannot maintain
itself save by and through violence. I refuse to make the classic distinction between
violence and force. The lawyers have invented the idea that when the state applies
constraint, even brutal constraint, it is exercising “Force”; that only individuals or
nongovernmental groups use violence. This is a totally unjustified distinction. The
state is established by violence. Invariably there is violence at the start. And the state is
legitimized when the other states recognize it (I know that this is not the usual criterion
of legitimacy, but it is the only real one!). Well then, when is a state recognized? When
it has lasted for a tolerable length of time. During the state’s early years the world is
scandalized that it was established by violence, but presently the fact is accepted, and
after a few years it is recognized as legitimate."
Jacques Ellul
3 comments:
One day on the N&R LTE blog, I called out a Quaker on one of his typical liberal spiels by asking how he can be a pacifist yet call for governmental force on that measure, and he replied that force is OK as long as it's nonviolent force.
(long sigh)
Keep in mind that Ellul has elsewhere reminded us that Jesus' treatment of the moneychangers shows us that Jesus was not non-violent, and that non-violence is not a universal value. He agreed with the need for military "force" against Nazi Germany, for instance....
If Jesus used any "violence" in the temple story, it was directed towards tables, coins and animals. There is no recorded example of Christ ever striking another human being.
Force as self defense is justified. The defense of Life and Property is a moral obligation in this temporal world. However, in the grand scheme of things, force is the result of a failure; a failure to use reason and love to settle disputes between fellow humans, who SHOULD treat one another as fellow brothers and sisters.
Any revolution based on violence cannot succeed in the long run.
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