Violence and the Ethos of Individualism

Abstract

ABSTRACT Numerous paradigms are suggested in the social science literature for understanding the various types of family violence. Several paradigms from this literature are reviewed. A paradigm for understanding family violence coming from a theological perspective is suggested by Marcus Borg in his book The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Authentic Contemporary Faith. This paradigm is based on the ethos of individualism as compared to the ethos of compassion. The author points out that Borg's paradigm is supported by research from the social sciences on the variables of empathy and narcissism.