Kevin Duong is Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia.

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: The Virtues of Violence in Times of Social Disintegration 1. Regicide and Redemptive Violence in the French Revolution 2. From Glory to Total War in Algeria 3. From the Ballot to the Barricade in the Paris Commune 4. Redemptive Violence on the Eve of the Great War Conclusion: Democracy is a Social Revolution Notes References Index

Social contract theory has tended to associate violence with chaos, disorder, and irrationality. In The Virtues of Violence, Kevin Duong directs us towards an alternative lineage of 'redemptive violence' that is inherently neither illiberal, nihilistic, nor anti-democratic ... Duong's book brims with references from across disciplines. His adroit style makes engaging with these studies a rewarding and enjoyable experience. The studies also challenge conventional wisdom ... For Duong, democracy is not simply a "set of laws or institutions," but an invitation to reimagine the social bond.

Kevin Duong is Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia.

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: The Virtues of Violence in Times of Social Disintegration 1. Regicide and Redemptive Violence in the French Revolution 2. From Glory to Total War in Algeria 3. From the Ballot to the Barricade in the Paris Commune 4. Redemptive Violence on the Eve of the Great War Conclusion: Democracy is a Social Revolution Notes References Index

Social contract theory has tended to associate violence with chaos, disorder, and irrationality. In The Virtues of Violence, Kevin Duong directs us towards an alternative lineage of 'redemptive violence' that is inherently neither illiberal, nihilistic, nor anti-democratic ... Duong's book brims with references from across disciplines. His adroit style makes engaging with these studies a rewarding and enjoyable experience. The studies also challenge conventional wisdom ... For Duong, democracy is not simply a "set of laws or institutions," but an invitation to reimagine the social bond.

Kevin Duong is Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia.

• List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: The Virtues of Violence in Times of Social Disintegration 1. Regicide and Redemptive Violence in the French Revolution 2. From Glory to Total War in Algeria 3. From the Ballot to the Barricade in the Paris Commune 4. Redemptive Violence on the Eve of the Great War Conclusion: Democracy is a Social Revolution Notes References Index

Social contract theory has tended to associate violence with chaos, disorder, and irrationality. In The Virtues of Violence, Kevin Duong directs us towards an alternative lineage of 'redemptive violence' that is inherently neither illiberal, nihilistic, nor anti-democratic ... Duong's book brims with references from across disciplines. His adroit style makes engaging with these studies a rewarding and enjoyable experience. The studies also challenge conventional wisdom ... For Duong, democracy is not simply a "set of laws or institutions," but an invitation to reimagine the social bond.