Alte und neue Gewalt

Abstract

The article addresses a number of critical questions concerning the definition of violence, arguing that the definition of violence depends on existing power relations rather than on any „objective” criteria. Since patterns of social relationships are changing, the temptation to resort to violent mechanisms of „reconnaissance through battle” in order to establish or challenge power relations seems to be increasing in the long run. The most dramatic changes are currently taking place on the global level, because the weakening of state sovereignty caused by the forces of economic globalization leads to technically sophisticated forms of unilateral warfare against those who try to resist the global market economy.