Butler on (Non)violence, Affect and Ethics:
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Writen byMichalinos Zembylas - Publisher Informa UK (Taylor & Francis)
- Year2020 (October 30)
This article engages with Judith Butler’s conceptualizations of nonviolence, affect, and ethics to propose a renewed framework for teaching nonviolence within social justice education. Zembylas argues that nonviolence should not be seen merely as abstaining from violence but as an affective and ethical stance that challenges oppressive structures and fosters collective responsibility. The study emphasizes how educators can integrate Butler’s insights into pedagogy, thereby cultivating critical awareness, emotional reflexivity, and ethical responsibility among learners. Nonviolence here is framed as a transformative practice—not only political but also deeply ethical—helping educators address tensions of anger, grief, and resistance in classrooms focused on social justiceIn an age marked by polarization, intolerance, and rising extremism, this work is especially relevant to educators, peace activists, and policymakers. It provides a philosophical and pedagogical toolkit for embedding nonviolence into the classroom, civil society training, and community education initiatives. Community Engagement Mechanisms include: • Designing teacher training programs on nonviolence pedagogy. • Integrating affect-based approaches to peace education in schools/universities. • Building dialogue spaces in communities where emotions and ethics are part of conflict transformation. • Enhancing civil society workshops on resilience, empathy, and coexistence. This article combines theoretical depth and educational application, making it an excellent resource for the GRACE Repository. It bridges philosophy, ethics, and pedagogy to foster nonviolent social change through education, perfectly aligning with MUL’s mission of moderation, toleration, and coexistence.

