The Origins of Violence: Religion, History and Genocide

Shortlisted for the Ernest Scott Prize for a history book

In The Origins of Violence, John Docker draws from both classical and modern sources to explore why group violence – such as colonisation, conquest, massacre and genocide – has been an ongoing narrative in the history of humanity. He provides a nuanced look at group violence in primates and the ancient world, explores how the notions of ‘chosen people’, ‘promised land’ and ‘culture-bringing’ drove the colonising projects of early modern Europe, and questions the role that the Enlightenment may have played in laying the foundations for the Holocaust. Docker finally argues that there has been a long counter-tradition in Europe and the West that questions violence, and ultimately posits Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence as a key alternative.