The Logic of Violence in Civil War

510 Pages·2006·11.661 MB·English

by  Stathis N. Kalyvas

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The Logic of Violence in Civil War
Byanalyticallydecouplingwarandviolence,thisbookexploresthecausesand
dynamicsofviolenceincivilwar.Againstprevailingviewsthatsuchviolenceis
eithertheproductofimpenetrablemadnessorasimplewaytoachievestrategic
objectives, the book demonstrates that the logic of violence in civil war has
much less to do with collective emotions, ideologies, cultures, or “greed and
grievance”thancurrentlybelieved.StathisKalyvasdistinguishesbetweenindis-
criminate and selective violence and specifies a novel theory of selective
violence:itisjointlyproducedbypoliticalactorsseekinginformationandindi-
vidualnoncombatantstryingtoavoidtheworstbutalsograbbingwhatoppor-
tunitiestheirpredicamentaffordsthem.Violenceisnotasimplereflectionof
theoptimalstrategyofitsusers;itsprofoundlyinteractivecharacterdefeatssim-
plemaximizationlogicswhileproducingsurprisingoutcomes,suchasrelative
nonviolenceinthe“frontlines”ofcivilwar.Civilwaroffersirresistibleopportu-
nitiestothosewhoarenotnaturallybloodthirstyandabhordirectinvolvement
inviolence.Themanipulationofpoliticalorganizationsbylocalactorswishing
toharmtheirrivalssignalsaprocessofprivatizationofpoliticalviolencerather
thanthemorecommonlythoughtpoliticizationofprivatelife.Seenfromthis
perspective,violenceisaprocesstakingplacebecauseofhumanaversionrather
thanapredispositiontowardhomicidalviolence,whichhelpsexplainthepara-
doxoftheexplosionofviolenceinsocialcontextscharacterizedbyhighlevelsof
interpersonalcontact,exchange,andeventrust.Hence,individualbehaviorin
civilwarshouldbeinterpretedlessasaninstanceofsocialanomieandmoreas
aperversemanifestationofabundantsocialcapital.Finally,Kalyvaselucidates
the oft-noted disjunction between action on the ground and discourse at the
topbyshowingthatlocalfragmentationandlocalcleavagesareacentralrather
thanperipheralaspectofcivilwars.
Stathis N. Kalyvas is Arnold Wolfers Professor of Political Science at Yale,
wherehedirectstheProgramonOrder,Conflict,andViolence.Hehasprevi-
ouslytaughtatChicago,NYU,andOhioStateandhasbeenavisitingprofessor
attheJuanMarchInstituteandaJeanMonnetFellowattheEuropeanUni-
versityInstitute.HeistheauthorofTheRiseofChristianDemocracyinEurope
(1996),whichwasawardedtheJ.DavidGreenstonePrizeforthebestbookin
politicsandhistory.HehasalsoreceivedtheGregoryLuebbertAwardforthe
bestarticleincomparativepoliticsandhasbeenagrantrecipientoftheHarry
FrankGuggenheimFoundationandtheUnitedStatesInstituteofPeace.
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Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics
GeneralEditor
MargaretLeviUniversityofWashington,Seattle
AssistantGeneralEditor
StephenHansonUniversityofWashington,Seattle
AssociateEditors
PeterLangeDukeUniversity
HelenMilnerPrincetonUniversity
FrancesRosenbluthYaleUniversity
SusanStokesYaleUniversity
SidneyTarrowCornellUniversity
KathleenThelenNorthwesternUniversity
ErikWibbelsUniversityofWashington,Seattle
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ContinuedaftertheIndex
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Publicationofthisbookhasbeenaidedbythegenerosityofthe
YaleCenterforInternationalandAreaStudies.
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The Logic of Violence in Civil War
STATHIS N. KALYVAS
YaleUniversity
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  
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
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Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
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© Stathis N. Kalyvas 2006
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexceptionandtotheprovisionof
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withoutthewrittenpermissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
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Wearesolittleaccustomedtotreatsocialphenomenascientificallythatcertain
ofthepropositionscontainedinthisbookmaywellsurprisethereader.However,
ifthereistobeasocialscience,weshallexpectitnotmerelytoparaphrasethe
traditionalprejudicesofthecommonmanbuttogiveusanewanddifferentview
of them; for the aim of all sciences is to make discoveries, and every discovery
moreorlessdisturbsacceptedideas.
EmileDurkheim,TheRulesofSociologicalMethod
Nooneengagedinthoughtabouthistoryandpoliticscanremainunawareofthe
enormousroleviolencehasalwaysplayedinhumanaffairs,anditisatfirstsight
surprisingthatviolencehasbeensingledoutsoseldomforspecialconsideration.
HannahArendt,OnViolence
Lenouveauneseproduitjamaisparsimpleinterpolationdel’ancien.
MichelHouellebecq,Lesparticulese´le´mentaires
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