Preview

We cannot effectively combat terrorism without a clear definition of what it is.

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2923 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
We cannot effectively combat terrorism without a clear definition of what it is.
"We cannot effectively combat terrorism without a clear definition of what it is." Discuss.

If we are to critically analyse this statement, we must first look at what ‘terrorism’ is, what a ‘clear definition’ of terrorism should include and whether one is available to us, and what ‘effectively combatting’ terrorism is considered to be. So, what definitions of terrorism are available to us today? Etymologically, the word ‘Terrorism’ is derived from the Latin root “terreo”, meaning “to frighten or alarm, or to deter by terror.”1 Terreo is itself derived from the proto-Indo-European root “-tre”, which translates as “to shake” or “the act of shaking”. The Oxford Dictionary sets out its own definition of ‘Terrorism’, which states: “1. A system of terror. 2. A Policy intended to strike with terror those against whom it is adopted; the employment of methods of intimidation; the fact of terrorising or being terrorised”2. Would this fulfil our requirement of a ‘clear’ definition? In order to say for sure, we must also look at the definition of a clear definition. Re-consulting the Oxford Dictionary, we can see that ‘clear’ is defined as something “easy to perceive, understand or interpret”3, would the definition of terrorism posed about be considered “easy to perceive…”? Of course, so by all trains of logic and reason we have our ‘clear definition’ in order to attempt to combat terrorism, do we not? But this definition is just one of many, made from a wide range of perspective, opinions and biases and is not suitable to fill our purpose. A ‘clear’ definition is merely an unambiguous one, but is not synonymously a ‘correct’, ‘just’ or ‘accurate’ definition, nor is it one that can properly address the intricate religious, political and personal details that must be acknowledged whenever discussing terrorism. “Remember that terrorism is a complicated, diverse and multi-determined phenomenon that resists simple definition and undermines all efforts at objectivity.”4 A

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Terrorism is defined in more ways than one, it can also be used in a variety of ways.…

    • 127 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Dictionary.com defines terrorism as, “The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes; the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization; and a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.” Terrorism has been around since the 1st Century AD. Many civilizations have used terrorists tactics on a weakened state or a state they which to overthrow. One of the first uses of modern terrorism was Maxmilien Robespierre. After the French Revolution, Robespierre was a dictator that used terrorism to remain in control. He stated that, “Subdue by terror the enemies of liberty, and you will be right, as founders of the Republic.” In the late 1960s, International Terrorism took the world over with hijacking. Of recent most terrorism is based on an ideology and religion.…

    • 1639 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Terrorism is not unique to contemporary society, the term ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’ date back to the late 18th Century (Laqueur 1987 as cited in Newburn 2007, p. 871). Defining the word ‘terrorism’ is a difficult task; Walter Laqueur is said to have counted over 100 definitions of terrorism and he concluded that the only general characteristics that are most often agreed upon are that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence (Laqueur, 1999 as cited in Furedi 2007). Although these are not new terms to society, it is important to analyse any changes in the representation, of the words ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’ since the events on 9/11. The perceptions that individuals in society have and…

    • 2583 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Criminal Justice

    • 5483 Words
    • 22 Pages

    There is no one, good definition of terrorism. In fact, it might be impossible to define because it is intangible and fluctuates according to historical and geographical contexts. Some forms of it are indistinguishable from crime, revolution, and war. Other forms of it are easily distinguishable. Each and every person knows that they would in some way, some day, under some back against the wall condition, support some form of terrorism (as a…

    • 5483 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The beginning of a good analysis requires defining what is being studied, but as Dr. Bryan discusses terrorism is a tough definition to nail down. In his lecture, he explains that there does not seem to be a universal definition, but many people who study it try to make their own. Bryan complied the most common terms that makeup most definitions. Terrorism is the threat of political violence that has some symbolic or communicative value.…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Terrorism SLIDES Trial 1

    • 1729 Words
    • 11 Pages

    In this definition, there are three key elements, that is violence, fear, and intimidation and all the elements produces terror to their victim. Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim by committing acts of violence that draws the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause. They plan their attack to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose. Terrorism also means to carry on a conflict without the adversary realizing the nature of the threat, mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Three perspectives of terrorism; the terrorist’s, the victim’s, and the general public’s.…

    • 1729 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Put as simply as possible, however, terrorism is the “indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens for political goals” (Hislope and Mughan 262). Terrorism is a multifaceted, complicated concept with deep roots, which is what makes it so difficult to define. Terrorism is not an ideology, but it is a “method, a technique, a tactic” that a variety of groups use to achieve their political goals (Hislope and Mughan 239). Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin described terrorism as “‘propaganda by the deed,’” suggesting that this kind of violence is simply a method of demonstrating a point that would not otherwise be heard (239). While terrorism definitely has gained prevalence in recent years, it “is anything but new,” with general origins dating back to the biblical Zealots (Rodenbeck 1). The term “‘terrorism’” first emerged during the French Revolution amid the Reign of Terror (Hislope and Mughan 248). However, the modern understanding of terrorism first emerged in the twentieth century, as non-governmental groups attempted to combat the increasing globalization occurring throughout the…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Terrorism has been defined in many ways and not everyone agrees with any one definition. The UK government defines it as: “The threat of, for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, of action which involves serious violence against any person or property.”…

    • 2015 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Terrorism is a trend which spans centuries, continents and ideologies. It is the act of committing violence against others, be they civilian, military or governments in order to raise awareness about a group, ideology or cause. Throughout history terrorism has been influenced by many forces but three key forces have shaped this trend the most significantly. Religion is often a driving force for acts of terror especially when the perpetrators of terrorism believe their religious practices and views are being oppressed.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A definition of “terrorism” refers to the use of force or violence against persons or property for the purpose of intimidation, coercion (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2011); Terrorists often use violence and threats to create fear among the public. Terrorism is a criminal act such as airline hijackings, bomb scares, weapons of mass destruction that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim. The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause. (International Terrorism and Security Research , n.d.)…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Defining Terrorism

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages

    There are many definitions of terrorism. Some of them are: Brain Jenkins said that terrorism is the use or threatened use of force designed to bring about political change. While Walter Lacqueur said that terrorism constitutes the illegitimate use of force to achieve apolitical objective by targeting innocent people. Yet another definition comes from Edward Herman, who said that terrorism should be defined by terms of state repression, such as the corrupt Latin American governments. Still another view of terrorism comes from Alex Schmidt, who said that there is no true or correct definition, because terrorism is an abstract concept with no real presence. A single definition cannot possibly account for all potential uses of the term. The final definition that is covered here is the official definition of terrorism issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They state that it is the unlawful use of force to intimidate a government to further political or social goals. Though these are only a few of the definitions of terrorism, they provide a good cross-section of the term terrorism.…

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Criminology and Terrorism

    • 1765 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Terrorism is defined loosely based on the Latin word Terre, which means to frighten. To be considered an act of terrorism, which is a political crime, an act must carry with it the intent to disrupt and the change the government and should not be merely a common-law crime committed for greed or egotism.…

    • 1765 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    There are many different definitions on what terrorism is, what a terrorist is, and why they do what they do. First off, terrorist are human beings with feelings and concerns even though they channel those emotions in a lethal way (Nance 8). They are organized and ready to attack at a moment’s notice (Nance 9). Terrorist use big or small acts of violence to put fear into people and win when they have your attention (Nance 9). Lastly, terrorist only fear one thing: Not making it out of the safe house to carry out the attack (Nance 9).…

    • 2063 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Terrorism Ethics

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There exist a number of “official” and legal definitions as well as those suggested by researchers and commenter’s. Some explanations of the meaning of terrorism focus only on terrorism cared out by individuals and groups and ignore state terrorism altogether, others emphasize the political objective of terrorist acts, and still other frame terrorist acts of criminal events and downplay the political motivations. One clearly understood factor amongst all of these approaches is that terrorism is a method or means of achieving by objective.…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Terrorism Wording Effects

    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Although terrorists use inherent, personal reasons to influence others, they also take advantage of external factors. Terrorists blame their victims due to cultural pressures through the use of the wording effect and other environmental factors. Bandura defines several social factors that describe how even decent people can be forced to enact savagely. Terrorists use euphemistic language to make their heinous actions seem respectable (129). When giving his speech, al-Baghdadi asserts that “Allah has forced [them] to fight his enemies and wage jihad for him to establish his religion” (DJ Nigel). By stating this, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi wanted to send a clear message, as caliphate, to his followers and the rest of the world. He wanted to unite and…

    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics