What is it about?
This article brings together Elaine Scarry's arguments about torture with Adriana Cavarero's conception of horrorism. Horrorism, for Cavarero, is the destruction of a person's uniqueness, often through damage to the body which is expressive of a person's uniqueness. Cavarero's work can help us understand some of the philosophical stakes of Scarry's account of torture, in particular, the way it shores up an Aristotelian distinction between speech (logos) and voice (phone). Scarry's account, however, also puts some pressure on Cavarero's argument, demonstrating that in torture uniqueness is not always destroyed, but is maintained as a way of inflicting suffering.
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Why is it important?
Cavarero's work is increasingly being read in the English speaking world. Scarry's arguments have had a significant affect on scholarship regarding pain and the body. Cavarero allows us to both see the value in Scarry's account, as well as some of the problematic philosophical frameworks she is working with. Conversely, Cavarero's account of horrorism has also been influential in thinking about pain and violence, particularly for international relations and security studies. This article expands on Cavarero's thought, demonstrating some of the limits her account of horrorism is confronted with.
Perspectives
This article brought together two texts that were very influential for me during my PhD — it was very rewarding to see it come to completion, as well as to have the opportunity to get Cavarero's thoughts on my argument.
Dr Timothy J. Huzar
National Coalition of Independent Scholars
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Horrorism in the scene of torture: Reading Scarry with Cavarero, Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies, March 2017, Intellect,
DOI: 10.1386/jivs.2.1.25_1.
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