Paper short abstract:

The paper addresses two interrelated ethical questions in reporting research results from a post-conflict society: fair presentation and emotions. The questions are reflected through auto-photographic data of six former Liberian girl soldiers with whom I have been working with since September 2012.

Paper long abstract:

In the book IV of Plato's Republic there is a story of Leontius, the son of Aglaion, who comes across some dead people lying at the executioner's feet. At the same time Leontius feels both a desire to stare at the corpses but is also disgusted and abhorred by the sight. He covers his eyes and struggles for a time but finally gives up for the desire to see and forces his eyes wide open. Leontius rushes towards the corpses shouting: "Look, ye wretches, take your fill of the fair sight."

In the paper, the ancient story of Leontius is placed in a modern environment, a post-conflict Liberia, and the role of Leontius is played by a "modern researcher" - myself. Firstly, the question of fair presentation is discussed. How much individual suffering does a researcher need to show in order to describe informants' realities? Yet, how to avoid a "pornography of violence"? Secondly, the often neglected question of researcher's emotions is contemplated. How can the negligence or inclusion of emotions affect the research results? Are emotions permissible in academic research?

These questions are investigated primarily through auto-photographic research data of six former Liberian girl soldiers with whom I have been working with since September 2012. The paper does not offer any ready-made answers on the challenging questions presented above but rather tries to remind both the writer and the readers that we, as human-beings, cannot escape "struggles of Leontius" even in academic research.