Pacifism

Pacifism is generally understood to mean the conscientious refusal to participate in war, but it is often construed more broadly as a general nonviolent stance both inwardly, in the sense of seeking inner peace, as well as outwardly, toward the world and its inhabitants. Although pacifist teachings have been found in virtually every society with a recorded history, pacifism as a philosophy or a movement has grown mainly from religion. Further, while almost every major religious tradition has some element of nonviolence in its teachings, pacifism has been spread most widely by early and reformed Christianity. More recently, it has also developed from secular political and moral philosophy.

Adherents of pacifism disagree about what it actually is. Some would say that any sanction of violence or force negates a pacifist identity, while others would argue that pacifism is not absolute in its definition, nor need it be applied to all situations. Thus, not all people who consider themselves pacifists apply pacifistic principles to every area of life. Some conscientious objectors to war, for example, believe in individual self-defense, which can also extend to a just war theory for nations or religious communities. Indeed, although Mohandas Gandhi is generally considered to be a pacifist, and he would not sanction violent rebellion against the government, he did believe that certain violent crimes in progress against individuals could morally be stopped by violence.

Whether it is based on religious or secular beliefs, the definition of pacifism hinges in large part on how violence or evil are defined and how one responds to them. Some pacifists respond by rejecting the world and its violence and evil, while others engage more intimately with the world's violence and evil.

There are essentially two sorts of pacifism—quietistic and activist. Both strains appear in both the East and the West, in both the ancient and modern eras. Quietistic pacifism encourages its adherents to retreat within themselves and shun participation with the human world and, sometimes, interference with the natural world. The Christian Amish, for example, have a corporately exclusive community that not only rejects warfare but also protects the community from the corrupt ways of nonbelievers. According to their creed, the Amish should not seek to convince outsiders of their ways. One of the most extreme quietistic pacifist religions is Jainism. Jainists wear veils to prevent breathing in bugs and sweep the ground before them as they walk to prevent stepping on living creatures. They eat only plants in the lower karmic order and consider starving as the ideal death.

Activist pacifists, while often beginning by quiet, inward searching, feel compelled to engage the world with the intent to change it. In a religious context, this is a proselytizing impulse, the drive to convince others of the truth of peace. They reach out to others to advocate reconciliation between disputing parties and relieve individuals from injustice through nonviolent means. Such activists are motivated by one of two [Page 1076]things, either principle or pragmatism. Principled pacifists are often radical in their stance, applying their beliefs widely and refusing to compromise. They often seek out confrontation in order to provoke discussion of the issues. Those who are pragmatists will give way if peaceful means are not the most effective solution to the problem at hand. For example, a pragmatic pacifist would allow that war against the Nazis would be a necessary evil for the achievement of greater peace.

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