Judith Bulter Precarious Life
JuditPRECARIOUS LIFE
THE POWERS OF MOURNING AND VIOLENCE
•
JUDITH BUTLER
VERSO
London • New York
First published by Verso 1004 © judith Butler 1004 All rights reserved The moral rights of the author have been assened
I
3 j 7 9 10 8 6 4 l
Verso UK: 6 Meard Street, London WIF oEG USA: 180 Varick S1reet, New York, NY 10014-4600 www. versobooks.com
Verso is the imprint of New Left Books
British. Lihrary Cataloguing in Puhlication Data Butler, judith P. Precarious life: the powers of mourning and violence 1. War on Terrorism, 2.001 - Moral and ethical aspects 1. Violence - Political aspects- United States 3· Nationalism- United States 4· Mass media and public opinion- United States j. United States- Foreign relations- liSt century I. Title 303.6 '15
ISBN 1844670058
Lihrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Puhlication Data Butler, judith. Precarious life: the powers of mourning and violence I Judith Butler. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-84467-0j-8 (hardback: alk. paper) 1. War on Terrorism, 1001 - Moral and ethical aspects. 1. Violence - Political aspects- United States. 3· Nationalism- United States. 4· Mass media and public opinion- United States. j. United States- Foreign relations- liSt century. I. Title.
HV6432..B88 zoo3 303.6--dcn 2.00J02.J744 Typeset in Fournier Printed in the US by R. R. Donnelley & Sons
For Isaac, who imagines otherwise
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE
IX
xi
1
EXPLANATION AND EXONERATION, OR WHAT WE CAN HEAR
2
3
VIOLENCE, MOURNING, POLITICS INDEFINITE DETENTION THE CHARGE OF ANTI-SEMITISM: JEWS, ISRAEL AND THE RISKS OF PUBLIC CRITIQUE
19 50 101
128
4 5
PRECARIOUS LIFE NOTES INDEX
15) 163
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to the Guggenheim Foundation and the Princeton University Center for Human Values for funding the 2om-o2 academic year when work on these essays began. I also thank Amy J amgochian for her patient and thorough work on the
THE POWERS OF MOURNING AND VIOLENCE
•
JUDITH BUTLER
VERSO
London • New York
First published by Verso 1004 © judith Butler 1004 All rights reserved The moral rights of the author have been assened
I
3 j 7 9 10 8 6 4 l
Verso UK: 6 Meard Street, London WIF oEG USA: 180 Varick S1reet, New York, NY 10014-4600 www. versobooks.com
Verso is the imprint of New Left Books
British. Lihrary Cataloguing in Puhlication Data Butler, judith P. Precarious life: the powers of mourning and violence 1. War on Terrorism, 2.001 - Moral and ethical aspects 1. Violence - Political aspects- United States 3· Nationalism- United States 4· Mass media and public opinion- United States j. United States- Foreign relations- liSt century I. Title 303.6 '15
ISBN 1844670058
Lihrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Puhlication Data Butler, judith. Precarious life: the powers of mourning and violence I Judith Butler. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-84467-0j-8 (hardback: alk. paper) 1. War on Terrorism, 1001 - Moral and ethical aspects. 1. Violence - Political aspects- United States. 3· Nationalism- United States. 4· Mass media and public opinion- United States. j. United States- Foreign relations- liSt century. I. Title.
HV6432..B88 zoo3 303.6--dcn 2.00J02.J744 Typeset in Fournier Printed in the US by R. R. Donnelley & Sons
For Isaac, who imagines otherwise
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE
IX
xi
1
EXPLANATION AND EXONERATION, OR WHAT WE CAN HEAR
2
3
VIOLENCE, MOURNING, POLITICS INDEFINITE DETENTION THE CHARGE OF ANTI-SEMITISM: JEWS, ISRAEL AND THE RISKS OF PUBLIC CRITIQUE
19 50 101
128
4 5
PRECARIOUS LIFE NOTES INDEX
15) 163
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to the Guggenheim Foundation and the Princeton University Center for Human Values for funding the 2om-o2 academic year when work on these essays began. I also thank Amy J amgochian for her patient and thorough work on the
Cited: Gulf War (1991) 34 Gvul, Yesh 116 Hastert, J. Dennis 90 Haynes, William J. 74-5, 79, 86,90 Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Jewish Voices for Peace 116 Jews Against the Occupation 116 Jews for Peace in the Middle East