Resumen de Raped Statues and Murdered Ideas Remarks on the Concept of ,,Violence against Things"

Dietrich Schotte

• Public discussions no less than philosophical debates about violence, about its essence and justification, often discuss violence against inanimate objects such as buildings or statues. This concept of ,,violence against things" is, however, contested, not least because other than humans or other animals, things do not suffer violence. This article discusses various approaches that make sense of and attempt to justify talking of ,,violence against things". These various attempts are, however, all found wanting. ,,Violence against things" can, the conclusion runs, at best be used as a shortcut for psychological violence that uses the destruction of highly valued objects as a means to seriously harm a person or group of persons.