Topics of Interest » War, Violence, Fear »
The old Hobbesian presumption that war, violence and fear are intrinsically part of ‘human nature’ still runs deep in contemporary political thinking. The prejudice has often been used as an argument against democracy. Hence the need for a new understanding of the possibility of ‘democratising’ fear, violence and war – rendering them publicly accountable, so exposing their contingency and encouraging public efforts to erase them from the world…
Does Democracy have a violent heart?
Talk delivered at the conference WAR, CULTURE AND DEMOCRACY IN CLASSICAL ATHENS, 4-6 July 2006, University of Sydney. Read, Watch and listen to John Keane presenting his talk click for Text here.
Remarks on Robert Cooper’s Towards a European Army?
There is an old rude saying that diplomats generally have such long noses that they cannot see beyond them. Robert Cooper proves that this is not necessarily the case. His published interviews, memoranda, short essays and his Breaking of Nations – a very good book with a grandness of title redolent of Adam Smith’s Wealth [...]
Maralinga’s Afterlife
The Age, May 11 2003 At Maralinga, the British Government treated Aborigines, Australian servicemen and even its own troops as scientific guinea pigs. John Keane , whose father was there, looks at the dirty games that were played in the desert of South Australia. PDF Version Here Listen to Audio __________________________________________ Len Beadell stood among [...]
In Praise of Meekness – Essays on Ethics and Politics
Translated by Teresa Chataway (Polity Press, 2000). (This book review first appeared in CSD Bulletin Volume 9, Number 1, Winter 2001-2002_ PDF Version) _________________________________ Sadly, these essays by the 90-year-old mano maestra of Italian political philosophy may prove to be among his last. Sadder still is the way in which his careless English copy editor [...]
Just War
BBC Radio 4′s Melvyn Bragg discusses the history and contemporary relevance of the idea of just war with John Keane and Niall Ferguson. Listen to Audio Alternatively visit the BBC Radio 4 website
A Human Face in Prague – A conversation with Václav Havel
An interview conducted by Erica Blair (AKA John Keane), Prague, 1986. Click here to read scanned interview in PDF format
Reflections on the welfare state and the future of capitalism
An interview with Claus Offe, conducted by David Held and John Keane. London and Wassenaar, November-December 1982. From Claus Offe, Contradictions of the Welfare State, Edited by John Keane; interview pp. 275-299. The file is divided in two parts: PDF Part 1 for pages 252-275 – PDF Part 2 for pages 276-299