Description

This thesis proposes to study the state as terrorist. The research conducted was fundamentally empirical, dealing with actual examples of institutionalized violence practiced by the state. In principle, this ‘violence’ is not defined as terrorism, and yet it has the same characteristics as that terrorism practiced by clandestine groups. The only difference between the two is that the former is justified and even sanctioned by the law. This study is based upon Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic violence, which proposes that state violence is symbolically legitimate and is accepted as normal. The method of the study is comparative. The first part of the work will analysis the characteristics of terrorism as such relates to clandestine groups. In the second part, various examples of institutionalized violence will be analyzed with the ultimate objective of demonstrate that there are not substantial differences between the violence practiced by groups and by the state. The third part of the thesis will present the study of the events of September 11th, and the subsequent war in Afghanistan, in order to demonstrate that both events are terrorism regardless of the motives. The results of all the above research prove the initial hypothesis, in other words, that the state practices terrorism even when such violence is based upon law. The research finds a concept of terrorism that can be applied to clandestine groups as well as the state. In conclusion, the state as terrorist should be discussed not just in terms of political science but principally in terms of law.