Nonviolent Resistance A Philosophical Introduction

Todd May persuasively advances our understanding of nonviolent resistance through his examination of the values of "dignity" and "equality". Drawing on numerous examples and lines of thought, he demonstrates that these values almost always underlie nonviolent resistance and contribute to its unique power relative to violence and institutional politics. He adeptly weaves social science and philosophy to leave the reader with a deep understanding of nonviolence.
Kurt Schock, Rutgers University
 
The last 40 years has seen the growth of a large and valuable literature on nonviolence from social scientists, legal scholars, and activists. One group largely absent from this growing conversation have been philosophers. Todd May's magnificent new book remedies this by bringing the very best of contemporary philosophical theory into active conversation with the concerns and perspective of an experienced activist. This is no mere abstract theoretical discussion. Rather, May shows with both erudition and subtlety why the concerns of political philosophy actually matter to the work of nonviolent action for social change. This ground-breaking work is required reading for both scholars and intellectually engaged practitioners.
Mark Lance, Georgetown University