ABSTRACT
A pursuit of political simplification and compact ethical foundations can lead to a loss or neglect of important concepts such as courage, political compassion, and social hope. Such concepts are familiar parts of our conceptual repertoire within liberal democracies. Yet, it would be problematic to imagine that the life of liberal democracies is self-enclosed or that liberal democracies automatically supply all of the conceptual resources that we need in order to make sense of protest, dissent, and political life in general. This chapter looks at the concept that ahimsa, which has come from the outside, is associated with Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu traditions, and has been particularly prominent as an additional insider term within the animal rights movement. Used by commentators, as varied as Kim Stallwood and Gary Francione, as a supplement to the familiar liberal conceptual repertoire. The chapter weighs up the advantages and disadvantages of such appeals to ahimsa as well as the ethical risks of appropriation.
