

Murad Idris, "War for Peace: Genealogies of a Violent Ideal in Western and Islamic Thought" (Oxford UP, 2019)
Jul 31, 2025
Murad Idris, an Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Virginia, delves into the complex interplay of war and peace across Western and Islamic thought. He examines how peace is often intertwined with violence, challenging traditional notions of 'violent peace.' Idris reveals how influential philosophers like Plato and Al-Farabi shaped these ideas, and discusses the implications of weaponizing peace in contemporary contexts. His insights provoke reflection on the political and moral dimensions of peace, urging a reevaluation of historical narratives and ideologies.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Peace's Parasitical Nature
- Peace rarely exists alone; it is almost always tied to another concept, which influences its meaning and use.
- This linkage often sanitizes and facilitates violence by embedding peace in binaries like war or dyads like peace and justice.
Peace as Provincial and Polemical
- Peace is provincial, reflecting specific political hierarchies and asymmetries rather than a universal desire.
- The ideal of peace is often weaponized to position certain groups as outsiders or enemies to peace.
Peace as a Speech Tax
- After 9-11, Muslims were pressured to publicly proclaim Islam as a religion of peace to prove their humanity.
- Similar demands for peace commitments appear asymmetrically in other contexts, masking political stakes.