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Towards a Social Philosophy of Genocide

https://doi.org/10.22394/2074-0492-2023-1-93-117

Abstract

In the first part of this paper, the author proceeds to identify and clarify three categories that are distinctive for the social philosophy of genocides: aim, subject, and method. The clarification of these categories makes meaningful the social philosophy of genocides. This makes it possible to distinguish between the social philosophy of genocides — and the scientific objectification of this phenomenon — and the social philosophy of genocide — alongside other philosophical disciplines — using the empirical material of genocides. It is argued that the subject of the social philosophy of genocides is the definition of genocide and the epistemically problematic in genocides; the aim of this discipline is to prevent genocides by criticizing the determinants (pre-reasons) that precede decision-making; the method of social philosophy of genocides is a parallax vision and a critical attitude towards the search for the "dark" in modernity. Each of the thematized categories defines the social philosophy of genocide as an independent discipline, distinct through its subject from scientific objectivations of genocide and through its method and aim from objectivations of genocide by moral philosophy and philosophy of religion. The first part concludes with a brief definition of the discipline: the social philosophy of genocides is a cluster of critical philosophical studies which examine the epistemically problematic in genocides, the definition of genocide, the causes of genocide, with the aim of preventing genocides through critical reflection. In the second part, the author situates the methodological problems of the research within the social philosophy of genocides and proposes a program of this discipline consisting of three projects: genealogy of genocides, studies of pre-modern genocides, and a catalogue of family resemblances of genocides.

About the Author

A. O. Arkhipov
HSE University
Russian Federation

Alexander O. Arkhipov — philosophy undergraduate student at HSE University.

Moscow



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For citations:


Arkhipov A.O. Towards a Social Philosophy of Genocide. Sociology of Power. 2023;35(1):93-117. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22394/2074-0492-2023-1-93-117

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ISSN 2074-0492 (Print)
ISSN 2413-144X (Online)