The Knowles Lecture in Political Philosophy: Defining terrorism: from Emily Davison to Axel Rudakubana
Published: 17 March 2025
Professor Quassim Cassam from the University of Warwick discussed the definition of terrorism and the proposal for amending the definition.
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. 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. Proposals for amending the definition of terrorism need to be assessed in terms of their practical consequences and resource implications.
This event was brought to you in partnership with the British Philosophical Association, and marked the start of British Philosophy Fortnight. You can find out more at the the BPA Webpage: https://www.bpa.ac.uk. You can also join the conversation by using the tags #PhiloFortnight2025 and #PhilosophyMatters.
First published: 17 March 2025
Last night, we welcomed Professor Quassim Cassam (@QCassam) for the @StevensonTrust lecture with @BritishPhiloso1.
— UofG Social Sciences (@UofGSocSci) March 18, 2025
They explored how we define terrorism, the complexities of changing it, and other key definitions.
The full recording will be available soon.#PhiloFortnight2025 pic.twitter.com/7QSTMeOc1r