Threatening. An ambivalent discursive practice between trust and violence

Abstract

In this paper, our focus is on elucidating the role of symbolic practices in the manifestation of human violence. We aim to demonstrate how the distinction between verbal and physical violence, often perceived as clear-cut, becomes considerably ambiguous and challenging when examining real-life scenarios. Within distinctly human interactions, the delineation among various forms of violence is not starkly defined but rather exists along a blurred continuum. Specifically, we aim to address the following inquiries: Does the propensity for aggression in human beings fundamentally hinge upon the possession of language? If so, in what manner does language influence this propensity? To explore these questions, we focus our analysis on the discursive practice of threat. We regard threat as both an exemplary and borderline case, which proves invaluable in highlighting the nuanced interplay between language and violence.