This course explore the logics of violence. The course offers an overview of the literature on civil wars as well as organized violence involving armed groups that do not seek formal state power, such as drug cartels, prison gangs, and paramilitaries. It also explores the many ways in which states engage in violence against their population through repression, torture, and murder.
3-5 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
This course explore the logics of violence. The course offers an overview of the literature on civil wars as well as organized violence involving armed groups that do not seek formal state power, such as drug cartels, prison gangs, and paramilitaries. It also explores the many ways in which states engage in violence against their population through repression, torture, and murder.
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.