A Ph.D. Thesis on Political Violence

Andreas Winsnes, the founder of LAW, has written an over 500 pages long thesis about defensive political violence. It is not yet available in English, but Scandinavian academics and journalists can order a copy if they want to contribute to the discussion in our forum. Send us an email for more information.

A couple of years ago, the thesis was meant to be judged by a Ph.D. committee, but the University of Tromsø changed their mind at the last moment and refused to appoint a committee to assess the thesis because Winsnes lacks a formal academic education. However, the University’s own rules say that anyone with an equivalent of a master’s degree can write a Ph.D. thesis. Five professors of philosophy and history of ideas wrote letters to the university recommending that Winsnes’ book Terror or dialogue? should be considered the equivalent of a Master thesis. They were Arne Johan Vetlesen, Asbjørn Aarnes, Guttorm Fløistad, Johan Arnt Myrstad, and Viggo Rossvær. The University, however, wanted to know the opinions of two other professors of philosophy, Jon Hellesnes and Arild Pedersen. They answered that the book was remarkable in several ways, but that it did not express enough academic philosophy to be the equivalent of a Master thesis. Professor and Dean of the Faculty of social science at the University of Tromsø, Petter Nafstad, also thought that Winsnes lacked the required competence. Unfortunately, the University chose to listen to three professors and disregard the opinions of five others.

So what is Terror or dialogue? all about? Actually, it is two books in one. First, it tells the story about how Winsnes infiltrated the Norwegian Neo-Nazi movement during the period 1994-1998. It also shows how globalisation and capitalism can give rise to fascist movements and other extreme ideologies. The second part of the book  presents arguments in favour of attacking the richest persons in the world in order to help poor people in developing countries. The editor of the economic magazine Magma, Gro Ladegård - who is now an associate professor - wrote in an editorial article that Terror or dialogue? should “interest all economists”. The leader of NHO (The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise) was on the editorial board of Magma when she wrote this in 1998. The article is here:

http://www.econa.no/oekonomen-og-systemet

Winsnes’ thesis Defensive political violence and religious pacifism is a continuation of Terror or dialogue? Norway’s most famous philosopher, Arne Næss, read the first preliminary version of the thesis, and he found it so interesting that he wrote in a letter that he should also read Terror or dialogue? Gabriel Benito, professor of International Strategy at the BI Norwegian School of Management, one of the largest business schools in Europe, said in a letter that he hoped the thesis would get a wide audience. Professor of criminal law, Ståle Eskeland, said in a comment that the thesis raises important and interesting issues. Professor of the Philosophy of Law, Svein Eng, read the thesis and offered Winsnes a job as a teacher at the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo.

The thesis shows how the laws of self-defence and necessity can justify defensive political violence. Winsnes argues that the ethics of the respected philosopher Levinas is compatible with defensive militant operations. He refutes over 40 arguments against political violence. The book has chapters on the psychological impact of killing. It gives detailed descriptions of militant methods like sabotage and assassinations. But the second half of the essay presents the reasons why religious pacifists, Buddhists for instance, are opposed to violence. It assess whether pacifism is more convincing than violence based on self-defence and necessity.

The final version will be published in English if the better arguments prove that defensive political violence can be justified.

Winsnes has also written five Op-Ed articles (kronikker) in Aftenposten, the most respected conservative newspaper in Norway. In one of them he argues that the principles of self-defence and necessity could justify increased surveillance of terrorists and organised crime. He has also written an essay about Henrik Ibsen’s notion of self-deceit. It was printed in a book published in honour of one of Norway's most famous lawyers, Tor Erling Staff, and it got a good review in Dagbladet, the largest liberal newspaper in the country.

After writing a book about neurology and mindfulness, an essay about shamans, entheogens, and native religions, and a thesis about democracy and judicial legitimacy, the University of Tromsø once again seem positive about assessing Winsnes' collected work of about 2000 pages as an equivalent of a master thesis. Consequently, it seemed like they would appoint a PhD committee after all. But that did not work out either. Three philosophers, including Professor Arnt Myrstad, said that the thesis was good enough, but Professor Beatrix Himmelmann disagreed, without presenting credible arguments, and one of the other philosophers changed his mind, and the application was once more declined. Himmelmann's arguments will be presented in the discussion forum, making it possible for everybody to see that they are not valid from the perspective of common sense ethics.