Citation

Salij J. Am. Behav. Sci. 2005; 48(6): 700-709.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0002764204272574

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article offers the thesis that the root cause of terrorism--that is, the terrorists' mistaken beliefs--should be sought out and then cured by means of moral persuasion and that simply using justice and punishment will not change terrorists' hearts. The author believes that applying legal methods by themselves will ultimately fail in eradicating terrorism and laments the development of genocidal techniques from 1870 onward and the arms race as well as the mistaken justification for killing civilians en masse in war. Even justifying an evil as "lesser" to prevent a greater evil is not permissible and only strengthens the immoral climate that leads to terrorists' justification for their actions. The article concludes that terrorism is always evil and can never be justified under any circumstances.