“Civilization is a horizon which we can approach, while barbarity is a background from which we seek to move away; neither condition can be entirely identified with particular beings. It consists of acts and attitudes that are barbarian or civilized,… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“For the same reason , the American government has invented a completely new juridical category , that of 'illegal enemy combatants'. In general, the… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“When we examine, not the language of the propaganda, but the witness of the combatants themselves, religion does not occupy the first place. Their… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
For evil to take place, the acts of a few people are not sufficient; the great majority also has to remain indifferent. That is… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“Nobody is entirely satisfied with the condition in which he or she lives: we often have the impression that these conditions are getting worse.… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“It is no longer necessary to resort to the power of a state in order to inflict heavy losses on your enemy, since a… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“The thirst for vengeance did not wait for Islam to appear in the world, and the appeal to the law of an eye for… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“Every human being needs a set of norms and rules, traditions and customs, transmitted from the older to the younger; without those norms, the… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“When 'all is permitted' in the fight against terror, a counter-terrorist starts to become indistinguishable from the initial terrorist.” — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
“When an angry mob demands the death of a female English schoolteacher alleged to have insulted the Prophet, as happened in Sudan in November… — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
People who believe themselves to be the incarnation of good have a distorted view of the world. — Tzvetan Todorov Copy Share Image
