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oapen-20.500.12657-317592021-11-04T14:13:17Z Enemies of All Humankind Schillings, Sonja Literature Civilization Essentialism Hostis humani generis Piracy State of nature Totalitarianism United States bic Book Industry Communication::D Literature & literary studies Hostis humani generis, meaning “enemy of humankind,” is the legal basis by which Western societies have defined such criminals as pirates, torturers, or terrorists as beyond the pale of civilization. Sonja Schillings argues that this legal fiction does more than characterize certain persons as inherently hostile: it provides a narrative basis for legitimating violence in the name of the state. The work draws attention to a century-old narrative pattern that not only underlies the legal category of enemies of the state, but more generally informs interpretations of imperial expansion, protest against government-sponsored oppression, and the transformation of institutions as “legitimate” interventions on behalf of civilized society. 2017-03-09 23:55 2019-11-26 16:29:09 2020-04-01T13:48:30Z 2020-04-01T13:48:30Z 2016 book 625275 OCN: 957057178 9781512600759 http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/31759 eng Re-Mapping the Transnational: A Dartmouth Series in American Studies application/pdf n/a 625275.pdf Dartmouth College Press 10.26530/oapen_625275 100123 10.26530/oapen_625275 f0b8db26-c0aa-4e7a-be0f-2115b9e1a32a b818ba9d-2dd9-4fd7-a364-7f305aef7ee9 9781512600759 Knowledge Unlatched (KU) Hanover, NH, USA 100123 KU Select 2016 Front List Collection Knowledge Unlatched open access
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Hostis humani generis, meaning “enemy of humankind,” is the legal basis by which Western societies have defined such criminals as pirates, torturers, or terrorists as beyond the pale of civilization. Sonja Schillings argues that this legal fiction does more than characterize certain persons as inherently hostile: it provides a narrative basis for legitimating violence in the name of the state. The work draws attention to a century-old narrative pattern that not only underlies the legal category of enemies of the state, but more generally informs interpretations of imperial expansion, protest against government-sponsored oppression, and the transformation of institutions as “legitimate” interventions on behalf of civilized society.
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