The Knowles Lecture in Political Philosophy: Professor Quassim Cassam Defining terrorism: from Emily Davison to Axel Rudakubana
Defining terrorism: from Emily Davison to Axel Rudakubana
Stevenson Trust, Social Sciences hub
Date: Monday 17 March 2025
Time: 18:00 - 19:30
Venue: Sir Charles Wilson Building University of Glasgow 3 Kelvin Way Glasgow G12 8NN
Category: Public lectures, Social events, Academic events, Student events, Alumni events
Speaker: Professor Quassim Cassam
Recent events in Southport have focused public attention on the definition of terrorism. Some critics see the Southport murders as false negatives for the official definition of terrorism in the UK. On this view, this definition failed to classify as terrorism acts of violence that should have been so classified. The definition also generates potential false positives: acts that it mistakenly classifies as terrorism. However, before amending the definition, account needs to be taken of insights from the philosophy of definition. If, as some philosophers argue, few words have watertight definitions, terrorism is unlikely to be one of them. The appropriate response is to embrace a pragmatic theory of definition. On this account, defining terrorism is not an abstract intellectual exercise but rather an exercise in ‘pragmatic problem solving in the face of a threat’(Lord Carlile). Proposals for amending the definition of terrorism need to be assessed in terms of their practical consequences and resource implications. The philosophical game of generating counterexamples to proposed definitions is of little value in this context, as in many others.
This event is brought to you in partnership with the British Philosophical Association, and will mark the start of British Philosophy Fortnight. You can find out more at the BPA Webpage: https://www.bpa.ac.uk. You can also join the conversation by using the tags #PhiloFortnight2025 and #PhilosophyMatters.