Abstract

Void is important, then, because it points to a vulnerability in the tension that makes up one’s moral life. Using the concept of void, of a tensile moral self, and Murdoch’s general approach to virtue language, this chapter analyzes experiences of moral injury during the Bosnian war through Murdoch’s concepts and philosophy. It also examines the material and social structures that are critical for sustaining common moral subjectivities, such as norms, practices of daily life, social institutions, and public and private spaces, and investigates how the war is violence marred or even eliminated them. This holistic approach shows how a virtue language can be combined with social-scientific approaches to illustrate the profound effect political violence can have on morality and identity.