Since 2006, Mexico has been embroiled in a process of intensification and proliferation of violence. The Mexican government has framed this phenomenon discursively as a war on drugs and has responded by launching a military strategy. The account has proved to be insufficient in explaining the complexity of the current phenomenon of violence; as a consequence, the military strategy has been a terrible failure. Despite the state having lost its monopoly on coercive power a long time ago, the government and political analysts insist that the only possibility for reducing the intensity of violence is to strengthen the punitive system. In contrast, the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity and other social activists have proposed love and responsiveness as an alternative to reducing such ruthless violence. Political analysts have mocked this alternative approach in the mass media. To them it seems inappropriate to invest love with a political logic, and the idea of using practices of generosity to reduce violence appears misguided. This is a thesis in political philosophy that aims to make intelligible the political value of practices of generosity to reduce violence. To this end, I critically analyse the predominant conception of the 'political' which, because it is informed by the logic of ressentiment, suggests that any strategy to reduce violence must draw on more violence and coercion. Likewise, I take into account the UNDP Reports Democracy in Latin America which, drawing on a substantive conception of democracy, assert that violence flows from a democratic deficit. Therefore, the strategy to reduce violence consists of deepening democracy rather than of getting tough. Thus, I critically engage radical political theories to articulate an interpretation that shows the political pertinence of generosity and empathy, rather than ressentiment, for articulating collective actions that aim to produce well-being for all.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:702116 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Castro, Luis Gabriel Rojas |
| Publisher | University of Essex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0016 seconds