Definition
Pacifism covers a spectrum of views, including the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved, calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war, opposition to any organization of society through governmental force (
anarchist or libertarian pacifism), rejection of the use of physical violence to obtain political, economic or social goals, the obliteration of force except in cases where it is absolutely necessary to advance the cause of peace, and opposition to violence under any circumstance, even defense of self and others. A person who beleaves in peace or no violence is required.
Moral considerations
Pacifism may be based on
moral principles (a
deontological view) or
pragmatism (a
consequentialist view). Principled pacifism holds that at some point along the spectrum from war to interpersonal physical violence, such violence becomes morally wrong. Pragmatic pacifism holds that the costs of war and inter-personal violence are so substantial that better ways of resolving disputes must be found. Pacifists in general reject theories of
Just War.
Nonviolence
Some pacifists follow principles of
nonviolence, believing that
nonviolent action is morally superior and/or pragmatically most effective. Some pacifists, however, support physical violence for emergency defense of self or others. Others support
destruction of property in such emergencies or for conducting symbolic acts of resistance like pouring red paint to represent blood on the outside of military recruiting offices or entering air force bases and hammering on military aircraft. However, part of the pacifist belief system is taking responsibility for one's actions by submitting to arrest and using a trial to publicize opposition to war and other forms of violence.
Non-aggression
In contrast to the nonviolence principle stands the
non-aggression principle, which rejects the initiation of violence, but permits the use of violence for
self-defense or
delegated defense. Although people supporting the non-aggression principle often call themselves pacifists, but they are more properly described as
voluntaryists. They claim that the moral prohibition of the use of violence follows from
argumentation ethics, which only applies when people are using
argumentation to solve disputes. So it does not apply when someone is subject to initiated violence, and hence self-defense is not morally rejected.
Dove
Dove or
dovish are informal terms used, especially in politics, for people who prefer to avoid war or prefer war as a last resort. The terms refer to the story of
Noah's Ark in which the dove came to symbolize the hope of salvation and peace.<sup class="Template-Fact" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from July 2009" style="white-space: nowrap;">[
citation needed]</sup> Similarly, in common parlance, the opposite of a dove is a hawk or
war hawk.
Early history
Please go here and scroll down.
Pacifism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
beat you bazz by 6 minutes LOL