Violence and moral philosophy

I start by asking why physical violence is morally wrong – an assumption that runs so deep that it is rarely investigated, a matter that appears so obvious as to not need explicit attention. In section 2, I attempt to test the conclusion of section 1 by reference to some common instances of physical violence. Finally, having earlier explored what it is that makes physical violence morally wrong, I turn to the really hard issue: is violence always wrong, or are there circumstances in which it might be morally justifiable? In the background throughout, and on occasion surfacing, will be the question of what, if any, role there might be for the discipline of moral philosophy in distinguishing those circumstances in which it is justified from others.