Engaging Violence: Civility and the Reach of Literature

Recent thinking has revived civility as a crucial paradigm for addressing violence, acknowledging its effectiveness in countering it. However, civility has also been perceived as a form of violence in disguise, and literature has occasionally been accused of inciting violence. This book explores the intricate relationships between violence, literature, and civility, tracing their historical trajectory from the Renaissance to the present. It argues that despite their imperfect conceptualization, civility and literature remain important protocols for critiquing violence in the modern world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

Recent thinking has brought civility back into focus as a crucial paradigm for navigating the pervasive violence that permeates our lives. While it is widely accepted that civility acts as a counterforce to violence, and that literature plays a significant role in fostering or accompanying civility and promoting tolerance, civility has also been perceived as a veiled form of violence. Moreover, literature, which has seldom aimed to wield the power of violence, has often faced accusations of inciting it. This book aims to explore the intricate relationships between these words—violence, literature, and civility—and the concepts they evoke. It seeks to untangle the ways in which these entanglements have been employed and the various purposes they have served.

Simpson's argument unfolds along a broadly historical trajectory, spanning the long modern period from the Renaissance to the present. He draws upon the insights of historians, political scientists, literary scholars, and philosophers to develop a novel argument about the complex and often enigmatic connections between literature, civility, and violence in the Anglophone Atlantic sphere. The outcome is a distinct perspective on the intricate and often perplexing interplay between these three elements.

What are our expectations of civility and literature, both individually and in combination? How do these well-known but somewhat ambiguous concepts hold up in the face of the challenges of the modern world? Simpson's argument posits that, despite and perhaps because of their imperfect conceptualization, both civility and literature continue to serve as vital protocols for critiquing violence.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of the complex interplay between violence, literature, and civility. It sheds light on the ways in which these three elements are interrelated, and the various purposes they have served throughout history. By examining the entanglements between these words and concepts, the book provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities we face in navigating the pervasive violence that permeates our lives.

Weight: 462g
Dimension: 153 x 227 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503633087