Revenge is something for hillbillies and Quentin Tarantino films. Far from it, says philosopher Fabian Bernhardt. Even in supposedly enlightened societies, the desire for revenge has never disappeared. We have only repressed our desire for revenge. In conversation with Catherine Newmark, he describes the role that revenge still plays in our everyday lives today, whether revenge also has its positive sides and how violence, terror and justice are connected.

Fabian Bernhardt studied philosophy, ethnology and general and comparative literature. He completed his doctorate at the Institute of Philosophy at the Free University of Berlin, where he is currently a research assistant in the Collaborative Research Centre ‘Affective Societies’. Following a monograph on forgiveness, his book ‘Revenge. On a Blind Spot of Modernity’, he analysed the cultural history of retribution.

Catherine Newmark has a doctorate in philosophy and works as a cultural journalist. She is an editor and presenter of the philosophy programme ‘Being and dispute’ at Deutschlandfunk Kultur and a columnist for Zeit Online and Radio Bremen. Her book publications include ‘Passion - Affect - Feeling. Philosophical theories of emotions between Aristotle and Kant’, “Why listen to authorities?” and ’A lot to lean you have to. Star Wars and philosophy’.