Relative Pacifism

Pacifism Relative Pacifism

Introduction to Relative Pacifism

Less absolute pacifists advocate other codes of behavior. Some pacifists bar the use of force and urge moral persuasion but also encourage passive resistance to achieve their goals. Two examples of this approach are the resistance offered to British rule in 20th-century India and the civil disobedience of American civil rights activists. Critics of this view contend that even passive resistance provokes frustration, resentment, and further oppression on the part of an aggressor.

Many pacifists believe that peace can be maintained only by a readiness to use force in certain circumstances, usually characterized as defensive. One approach permits armed defense against attack, but not assistance to other nations being attacked. Proponents of the theory of collective security urge a defensive combination of peace-loving nations against violators of the peace. If such a policy is not to result merely in a system of rival alliances, it must be implemented by international machinery that is able not only to make settlements but to enforce them as well. Advocates of collective security accordingly support all international organizations such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the League of Nations, and the United Nations.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Relative Pacifism in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Relative Pacifism