ABSTRACT
Contemporary world politics is weighed down by the fear of terrorism, as once (according to the boast of Marx and Engels) Europe was haunted by the specter of communism. That specter endured for most of the twentieth century and cast a shadow over much that was not strictly communist; similarly, anxiety about terrorism often stretches to quite diverse realities. It is therefore important to start a philosophical discussion of terrorism by seeking clarity about the best way to understand the term.
