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Definition: pacifism from Collins English Dictionary

n

1 the belief that violence of any kind is unjustifiable and that one should not participate in war

2 the belief that international disputes can be settled by arbitration rather than war

pacifism

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
advocacy of opposition to war through individual or collective action against militarism. Although complete, enduring peace is the goal of all pacifism, the methods of achieving it differ. Some groups oppose international war but advocate revolution for suppressed nationalities; others are willing to support defensive but not offensive war; others oppose all war, but believe in maintaining a police force; still others believe in no coercive or disciplinary force at all. One of the strongest motivations in the promotion of peace has been religion, the objection to war being, in general, based on the belief that the willful taking of human life is wrong. The Eastern religions, especially Buddhism, decry war and advocate nonresistance. There has also been a strong pacifistic element in Judaism and Christianity. The Sermon on the Mount, in particular, contains a strong exhortation to peace. The church generally voiced opposition to war as such (with the notable exception of the Crusades); …
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Full text Article pacifism

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
advocacy of opposition to war through individual or collective action against militarism. Although complete, enduring peace is the goal of all pacifism, the methods of achieving it differ. Some groups oppose international war but advocate revolution for suppressed nationalities; others are willing…
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Full text Article pacifism

From Encyclopedia of Ethics
The word “pacifism” was introduced about 1902 as a synonym for “anti-warism.” It still carries with it the vagueness and variability suggested by this origin. At times there is no doctrine at all associated with being a pacifist; when there is, it need not be the same doctrine in all cases. The main…
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Full text Article Pacifism

From The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History
Pacifism, the rejection of violence as a means of solving disputes, is a broad doctrine that encompasses a variety of ideas and practices and dates back to the earliest settlements in colonial America. Throughout much of American history, pacifism has been closely associated with religion, …
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From Encyclopedia of World Religions: Encyclopedia of Catholicism
Pacifism is a belief that people must avoid all violence toward one another and especially refuse to kill one another in war. In the Christian world, pacifism has been identified with certain Protestant groups, the so-called peace churches, which include the Church of the Brethren, the various…
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Full text Article PACIFISM

From The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History
Pacifism, defined as opposition to war and violence of any kind, has had a strong presence in U.S. history both as an individual belief system and as the foundation for collective action designed to influence foreign and domestic policy. By combining personal principle with political practice, …
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Full text Article PACIFISM

From The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales
Pacifism - the belief that it is immoral to take part in war - should be distinguished from the term ‘pacificism’, which is the belief that, while all effort should be made to avoid war, the use of armed force can be justified. From its beginnings, Christianity contained a pacifist element; but…
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From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
The doctrine that war and violence as a means of settling disputes is morally wrong. The first genuinely pacifist movement was Buddhism , whose founder demanded from his followers absolute abstention from any act of violence against their fellow creatures. The ancient Greek conception of pacifism…
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From Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
(1) opposition to war, usually on moral or religious grounds, but sometimes on the practical ground (pragmatic pacifism) that it is wasteful and ineffective; (2) opposition to all killing and violence; (3) opposition only to war of a specified kind (e.g., nuclear pacifism). Not to be confused with…
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From Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought
The belief that all war is unjustified, and that all international politics should proceed by arbitration and treaties under international law. Pacifism may arise out of religious or moral convictions so strong as to give grounds for conscientious objection to military service, although the right to…
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From Encyclopedia of American Studies
The Peaceable Kingdom. c.1833-1834. Edward Hicks,...
At first glance, pacifism looks simple. It is a fabric of faith and practice that denies that violence, and especially warfare, is a good or just way to solve problems. But it is more complicated than that; most isms are. Fo... …
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