Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence

by José-Antonio Orosco

Overview

Cesar Chavez has long been heralded for his personal practice of nonviolent resistance in struggles against social, racial, and labor injustices. However, the works of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. have long overshadowed Chavez's contributions to the theory of nonviolence. José-Antonio Orosco seeks to elevate Chavez as an original thinker, providing an analysis of what Chavez called "the common sense of nonviolence." By engaging Chavez in dialogue with a variety of political theorists and philosophers, Orosco demonstrates how Chavez developed distinct ideas about nonviolent theory that are timely for dealing with today's social and political issues, including racism, sexism, immigration, globalization, and political violence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826343772
Publisher:	University of New Mexico Press
Publication date:	03/31/2008
Series:	no
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

José-Antonio Orosco is associate professor of philosophy at Oregon State University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     vii
Introduction: Cesar Chavez as a Political Thinker     1
Pilgrimage, Penitence, and Revolution: The Logic of Nonviolence     15
"The Most Vicious Type of Oppression": The Broken Promises of Armed Struggle     33
The Strategies of Property Destruction and Sabotage for Social Justice     53
Refusing to Be a Macho: Decentering Race and Gender     71
"The Common Sense of Nonviolence": Time and Crisis in King and Chavez     97
Notes     115
Bibliography     131
Index     141

Editorial Reviews

"One of the most succinct and cogent statements of the theory of nonviolence as a means to social change that this reviewer has read. . . . A most commendable effort. . . . Highly recommended."
—Choice

From the Publisher