The Sacred Monstrous: A Reflection on Violence in Human Communities

Wedding an analysis of relevant anthropological literature and philosophical theory, this important book re-positions violence—long trivialized by philosophers as an incidental or anomalous feature of humanity—as a central concern for ethical thought. Wendy Hamblet focuses on a fundamental paradox that emerges when well-meaning communities and individuals attempt to implement their ideals in our social, or socialized, world. Very often the unintended consequences of these individual or communal …