Terrorism, Philosophical and Ideological Origins █ ERIC v.d.
LUFT Terrorism is the systematic belief in the political,
religious, or ideological efficacy of producing fear by
attacking—or threatening to attack—unsuspecting or defenseless
populations, usually civilians, and usually by surprise.
Terrorist attacks are desperate acts of those who feel
themselves to be otherwise powerless. Terrorism is self-
righteous, absolutist, and exclusivist. In general, terrorist
policy adherents are unwilling or unable to negotiate with their
perceived enemies, or prevented by political, social, or
economic circumstances from doing so. The philosophical
underpinnings of terrorism have become well established
worldwide. The terms "terrorism" and "terrorist" came into the
language in the 1790s when British journalists, politicians,
orators, and historians used them to describe the Jacobins and
other particularly violent French revolutionaries. The terms
have evolved since then, and now typically refer to furtive acts
by unknow