Pacifism

Pacifism is an ethical and political idea holding that war and violence should be avoided and cannot be accepted as an ordinary means of resolving conflicts between people and states. Those who follow this idea typically prefer dialogue, mediation, nonviolent resistance, and conditional objection to military service.

Pacifism is not a single viewpoint. It ranges from a strict stance rejecting all forms of violence, including self-defense, to other positions that accept military action under certain circumstances but regard war as a last resort. These differences in approach mean that pacifist groups often diverge on specific points.

Origins and philosophical foundations

Thinking opposed to violence comes from various religious beliefs and philosophies. Small Christian communities rejected military service for centuries, basing their stance on religious texts about forgiveness. In Indian traditions such as Jainism, the principle of not harming living beings is emphasized. Some modern liberal and socialist philosophies have also viewed war as serving the interests of a small group while the cost is borne by the public.

The twentieth century

The First and Second World Wars strengthened anti-war movements in Europe and America. Some people refused military conscription, known as conscientious objectors; many states later established legal frameworks to recognize this status, usually by requiring alternative civil service instead. After nuclear weapons, broader campaigns emerged calling for arms reduction.

Methods of action

Pacifism in practice employs nonviolent tools: demonstrations and protests, strikes, tax resistance and boycotts, and refusal to pay taxes for war. Among well-known advocates of these methods are Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., who used nonviolent resistance to change laws and systems.

Debates arising from it

Critics argue that absolute rejection of armed action could leave powerless people defenseless against attack. Pacifism's supporters counter that war usually produces suffering greater than the problem it seeks to solve, and that nonviolent methods have sometimes succeeded historically. Most of the debate rests on how one evaluates outcomes, not solely on principles.