On Terrorism and its Typologies
On Terrorism and its Typologies

Summary/Abstract: The article refers to selected aspects of knowledge about terrorism and its typology. The introduction explains the etymology of this concept and highlights the problem of diversity in the definition of terrorism. The next part cites several definitions of terrorism, which, in the author’s opinion, reflect the essence of this phenomenon. The difference between terrorism and terror, which are two terms that should not be used interchangeably, is also explained. The next part of the article illustrates the source of the problem which makes it impossible to agree on a commonly accepted definition of terrorism by giving an example of the wording of the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism. Then, the inherent feature of terrorism is explained, which is its asymmetry. The last part of the article concerns a typology of terrorism. It presents in a synthetic way various categories of terrorism, distinguished according to such criteria as: actors, motives, strategic (final) goals, close (closer) goals, type of actions, nature of the object of attacks, international implications, and means and methods used by terrorists. The article ends with a concise summary of the considerations on the theoretical aspects of terrorism undertaken in it.

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