Sacrificing Justice

Abstract

Democratic theorists have increasingly turned to Aeschylus' Oresteia as a resource for challenging the shortcomings of liberal theory, but I argue that this particular return to Greek tragedy should be treated with a healthy dose of skepticism. Defenders of Aeschylean justice have underplayed the sacrificial aspects of his solution to the problem of civil strife, mistaking the consent of the Furies for a resolution that escapes the cycle of violence. Drawing on elements of Greek ritual practice, I contend that Aeschylus folds the consent of the Furies into a sacrificial framework which denies the violence it enacts by directing this violence toward nonhumans. As a consequence Aeschylean justice is complicit in continuing the sacrificial economy it seems to subvert, and Aeschylean politics relies on the suffering of nonhumans (and humans) to secure its conception of order.

Be like a panda: reconstructing national identities through China's iconic species

“…(as cited in Girard, 1979, p. 2). Dolgert's (2012) views on the sacrifice of animals in ancient Greek society is germane to this discussion. He argued that the manner and propensity to sacrifice non-human animals was a matter of politics and community harmony.…”

“…As Fennell (2021) observed in reference to pathei mathos, the animal "scapegoat dies so the community might thrive" (p. 256) under these conditions. Dolgert (2012) concludes by suggesting that the moral fabric/boundaries of our communities can often be dictated by the political subconscious of its citizens and leaders. By forgetting or anesthetizing the pain and suffering of animals, humans can rationalize or legitimize the many practices that define these communities.…”

Bullfighting as dark tourism: cultural experience or anachronism?

“…Scholars contend that torture has always been a part of culture (Mosterín, 2008), with animals often being a scapegoat for society's ills. Animals, thus, have a political role in quelling the upheavals and insurgences that would otherwise serve to destabilize society (Dolgert, 2012).…”

The Progress of Law: Aeschylus’s Oresteia in Feminist and Critical Theory

“…Within its multiple layers of signification, the trilogy contains political, religious, and sociosexual allegories. 3 Political theorists have frequently interpreted Aeschylus's text as a democratic lesson in civic ideology, 4 using their readings of the three tragedies to inform debates on intergenerational justice, 5 suffering, 6 sacrifice, 7 punishment, 8 truth and reconciliation, 9 and the recognition of difference. 10 From a psychoanalytic perspective, the Oresteia offers reflections on psychic integration 11 and the constitution of the subject.…”