The phrase "violence begets violence" (or "hate begets hate") refers to the concept that violent behavior promotes other violent behavior, in return. The phrase has been used for over 50 years, as in speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1958)[1] or the news report "Study: TV Violence Begets Violence" by CBS News (March 2003).[2]
Violence begets violence and evil begets evil are concepts described in the Gospel of Matthew, verse 26:52.[3] The passage depicts a disciple (identified in the Gospel of John as Peter) drawing a sword to defend against the arrest of Jesus but being told to sheath his weapon:
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.[4]
The reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) used the phrase when saying: [1][5][6]
Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love... Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding.[1]
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. … Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.[7]