Introduction Desperate times call for desperate measures. Are some desperate measures so absolutely evil that they may never be used even in the most desperate of times? Investigating the moral bounds of this maxim is a key aim of Virginia Held's consideration of terrorism. (1) Of particular interest to Held are cases of ongoing, avoidable basic rights violations. When all other measures have been exhausted to no avail, can it be legitimate to use terrorism to try to bring about the effective protection of rights? Held ventures beyond the standard response found in both public and philosophical discourse, which regards terrorism as an absolute evil that is never permissible. (2) In some circumstances, she argues, terrorism is warranted.
