ABSTRACT
The early twenty-first century has been characterized by a tragic surge in terrorist events. Examples include cars or trucks plunging into random groups of pedestrians, as well as fatal attacks targeting members of the Jewish community or people whom the perpetrators believe are blasphemers who besmirch the name of the Prophet Muhammad. Many scholars found the vocabulary of imitation, contagion, and suggestion (ICS) fitting when accounting for such experiences. The heyday of ICS thinking was no doubt the late nineteenth century, when it spread from France to Germany, America, and elsewhere. Increasingly, however, ICS ideas were subjected to critiques that eventually pushed this framework toward the margins of ‘proper’ thought. This chapter demonstrates multiple overlaps and an abundance of examples of how ICS vocabulary has evolved over time and been deployed in various contexts. It is our shared hope that the chapters, individually and collectively, will invite new and stimulating research into ICS, its background, uses, and analytical potential.
