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Professor Kuper examines the case for and against non-violent political action in societies where it is pun: to the most extreme test, that is in situations of chronic domination of one group or ra...ce by another. He believes that in such societies violence, on the part of the dominant group, is virtually embedded in the system of control and oppression which they uphold, so that a protester's commitment to non violence may seem meaningless. He declares his own belief (arising in the first place from his experience and study of South Africa) that, on the contrary, non-violent techniques offer the only means of achieving ultimate and radical change; but he stresses that the techniques - which he classifies and distinguishes must be used appropriately in differing political and economic situations. He outlines Gandhi's teaching in relation both to India and to South Africa and examines else the cases made by advocates of violence such as Fanon, Marcuse and Malcolm X. He concludes by re-stating hi& own conviction that social and political improvement cannot arise from campaigns which disregard the quality of human life, or life itself, and of the need to return to Gandhi's concern for the morality of the means of political action.
Professor Kuper examines the case for and against non-violent political action in societies where it is pun: to the most extreme test, that is in situations of chronic domination of one group or ra...ce by another. He believes that in such societies violence, on the part of the dominant group, is virtually embedded in the system of control and oppression which they uphold, so that a protester's commitment to non violence may seem meaningless. He declares his own belief (arising in the first place from his experience and study of South Africa) that, on the contrary, non-violent techniques offer the only means of achieving ultimate and radical change; but he stresses that the techniques - which he classifies and distinguishes must be used appropriately in differing political and economic situations. He outlines Gandhi's teaching in relation both to India and to South Africa and examines else the cases made by advocates of violence such as Fanon, Marcuse and Malcolm X. He concludes by re-stating hi& own conviction that social and political improvement cannot arise from campaigns which disregard the quality of human life, or life itself, and of the need to return to Gandhi's concern for the morality of the means of political action.
| Module code and title: | A301, War and society |
|---|---|
| Item code: | A301; 14 |
| Recording date: | 1973-04-26 |
| First transmission date: | 07-09-1973 |
| Published: | 1973 |
| Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
| Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all OUDA web pages. |
| Duration: | 00:18:53 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Prudence Smith |
| Contributors: | Leo Kuper; Robert Russell |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Fanon; Gandhi; Malcolm X; Marcuse; Non-violent political action; South Africa |
| Master spool number: | TLN17FM514J |
| Production number: | TLN17FM514J |
| Available to public: | no |
