Contending with Violent Words; or, The Afterthought of (In)Civility

Erik Doxtader University of South Carolina

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe aftermath brings a rush of words, a silencing onslaught of pious accusations and diagnostic promises, a host of conflicting remedies that profess to combat the tragedy of dangerous expression. In Walter Benjamin’s estimation, this storm of self-proclaimed progress was self-defeating. For now, for a moment that defies fate’s necessity and refuses mythic redemption, the critique of violence hinges on the question of language as such, an experience of the word’s lament as it falls into our grasp at the cost of discovery.

Journal
Philosophy & Rhetoric
Published
2011-12-01
DOI
10.5325/philrhet.44.4.0403
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Philosophy & Rhetoric

References (45)

  1. According to Fish. 2011. “This Is the Problem with False Equivalencies.”DailyKos, 9January, http://www.dailyk…
  2. Agamben, Giorgio . 1991. Language and Death: The Place of Negativity. Trans. Karen Pinkus. Minneapolis: Unive…
  3. Arendt, Hannah . 1968. “Walter Benjamin, 1892–1940.” In Men in Dark Times, 153–206. New York: Harcourt, Brace…
  4. Arizona Republic . 2011. “Gabrielle Giffords Shooting: As It Unfolded.”Arizona Central, 14January, http://www…
  5. BATB. 2011. “Featured Comment.”Small Dead Animals, 9January, http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/015770.…
Show all 45 →
  1. Benjamin, Walter . 1985. The Origin of German Tragic Drama. Trans. John Osbourne. London: Verso.
  2. Benjamin, Walter . 1996. Selected Writings. Vol. 1. Ed. Marcus Bullock and Michael W. Jennings. Cambridge, MA…
  3. Benjamin, Walter . 1999. Selected Writings. Vol. 2. Ed. Michael W. Jennings, Howard Eiland, and Gary Smith. T…
  4. Benjamin, Walter . 2002. Selected Writings. Vol. 3. Ed. Howard Eiland and Michael W. Jennings. Cambridge, MA:…
  5. Benjamin, Walter . 2003. Selected Writings. Vol. 4. Ed. Howard Eiland and Michael W. Jennings. Trans. Edmund …
  6. Benjamin, Walter . 2007. Walter Benjamin's Archive: Images, Texts, Signs. Ed. Ursula Marx et al. Trans. Esthe…
  7. Benjamin, Walter . 2011. Early Writings, 1910–1917. Trans Howard Eiland. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  8. Bordersen, Momme . 1996. Walter Benjamin: A Biography. Ed. Martina Dervis. Trans. Malcom Green. London: Verso.
  9. Brooks, David . 2011. “Tree of Failure,”New York Times, 13January, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/opinion/…
  10. Buber, Martin . 1957. “Prophecy, Apocalyptic, and the Historical Hour.” In Pointing the Way, trans. Maurice F…
  11. Derrida, Jacques . 1990. “Force of Law: ‘The Mystical Foundation of Authority.’ ”Cardozo Law Review11 (5): 92…
  12. Doxtader, Erik . 2012. “A Critique of Law's Violence Yet (Never) to Come: United Nations' Transitional Justic…
  13. Düttmann, Alexander Garcia . 2000a. The Gift of Language: Memory and Promise in Adorno, Benjamin, Heidegger, …
  14. Düttmann, Alexander Garcia . 2000b. Between Cultures: Tensions in the Struggle for Recognition. Trans. Kennet…
  15. Fenves, Peter . 2011. The Messianic Reduction: Walter Benjamin and the Shape of Time. Stanford: Stanford Univ…
  16. el feugo . 2011. “Palin Camp: They're Not Gunsights.”DailyKos, 9January, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/0…
  17. Fisher, Max . 2011. “Was Shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Political?”National Journal, 8January, http://ww…
  18. Grim, Ryan . 2011. “Grijalva: Palin Needs to Look at Her Own Behavior.”Huffington Post, 8January, http://www.…
  19. Hamacher, Werner . 2002. “Guilt History: Benjamin's Sketch ‘Capitalism as Religion.”Diacritics32 (3–4): 81–106.
  20. Hoft, Jim . 2011. “DISGRACEFUL: Krugman Blames GOP for ‘Attempted Assassination’ Today (Before We Found Out H…
  21. Hulse, Carl , and Kate Zernike. 2011. “Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics.”New York Times Online…
  22. Krugman, Paul . 2011a. “The Assassination Attempt in Arizona,”New York Times Online, 8January, http://www.kru…
  23. Krugman, Paul . 2011b. “A Tale of Two Mortalities,”New York Times Online, 13January, http://www.nytimes.com/2…
  24. Lacey, Marc , and David M. Herszenhorn. 2011. “In Attack's Wake, Political Repercussions.”New York Times Onli…
  25. Martin, Jonathan . 2011. “Violence and Politics Merge in Arizona.”Politico, 9January, http://www.politico.com…
  26. Memmott, Mark . 2011. “Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Many Others, Shot; At Least Six Dead.”The Two-Way—NP…
  27. Obama, Barack . 2011. “Remarks by the President on the Shootings in Tucson Arizona.”8January, http://www.whit…
  28. Scholem, Gershom . 1971. The Messianic Idea in Judaism and Other Essays on Jewish Spirituality. New York: Schocken.
  29. Shafer, Jack . 2011. “The Giffords Shooting.”Slate, 8January, http://www.slate.com/id/2280593 (accessed 16 Se…
  30. Somashekhar, Sandhya . 2011. “Gabrielle Giffords Shooting in Tucson: Did it Stem from State of Political Disc…
  31. Stromberg, Stephen . 2011. “What Does the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Mean?”Post Partisan, 8January, http://w…
  32. Sullivan, Andrew . 2011. “An Assassination Attempt in Arizona: Live-Blogging,”Daily Beast, 8January, http://w…
  33. TBogg . 2011. “Sarah Palin's Hit List.”Firedoglake, 8January, http://www.tbogg.firedoglake.com/2011/01/08/sar…
  34. Terkel, Amanda . 2011. “Representative Clyburn Recalls Words of MLK.”Huffington Post, 9January, http://www.hu…
  35. Theblogprof . 2011. “Figures: Man Who Shot AZ Congresswomen in the Head is a Left-Wing Lunatic.”Blog Prof, 8J…
  36. TheRightScoop . 2011a. “The Left Already Blaming Plain and Others for Gifford Shooting.”TheRightScoop, 8Janua…
  37. TheRightScoop . 2011b. “James Clyburn Blames Sharron Angle Rhetoric for Giffords Shooting.”TheRightScoop, 9Ja…
  38. Weber, Samuel . 2008. Benjamin's Abilities. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  39. Weigel, David . 2011a. “Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) Shot at Public Event.”Weigel: Reporting About Politi…
  40. Weigel, David . 2011b. “Arizona Tea-Partier: We Need to Be Careful About What We Say.”Slate, 8January, http:/…