Anti-War Pacifism

Pacifism covers an array of views and there are many subcategories of pacifism, some of which I will cover, but the main definition of the word pacifism is the opposition to war and/or violence. Perhaps the most famous use of the word pacifism is found in the “Sermon on the Mount”, where Jesus claims the “peacemakers” are blessed. In this passage, the Greek word eirenopoios is translated into Latin as pacifici, which means those who work for peace. One common and simple argument for pacifism among religious groups or god fearing people is the argument that god’s revealed words says, through the bible, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Universal pacifists are morally opposed to all violence, not just killing. And many universal pacifists derive their views from christian gospel. Immanuel Kant believed that morally proper action consists in choosing to act in such a way that your conduct could serve as an example for all mankind. Some universal pacifists appeal to this idea, arguing that if everyone were a pacifists then the world would be a much better place. Leo Tolstoy, who, in his early years, was a nihilist, and later in life became a fervent christian pacifist or anarcho-pacifist wrote this in his book My Religion or What I Believe, which is a comprehensive explanation of his faith, “Instead of regarding it as natural that our entire existence should be controlled by coercion; that every one of our amusements should be provided and maintained by force; that each of us from childhood to old age should be by turns victim and executioner instead of this I tried to picture the results if, by precept and example, we endeavored to inspire the world with the conviction that vengeance is a sentiment unworthy of humanity; that violence is not o...

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...oal of such violence is to obtain a greater moral good. But antiwar pacifists maintain that the ends do not justify the means, if the means are murderous. It is a tragic mistake to believe that there are great moral goods that can only be claimed by war and the amount of moral good obtained by war is often greatly exaggerated and inequitable.

Works Cited

Chatfield, Charles, Bertrand Russell, and Ralph Barton Perry. The Ethics of War: Bertrand Russell and Ralph Barton Perry on World War I. New York: Garland Pub., 1972. Print.

Fiala, Andrew, "Pacifism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)

Lackey, Douglas P. "Pacifism." Contemporary Moral Problems. By James E. White. 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2009. Print.

Tolstoy, Leo, and Huntington Smith. "VI." My Religion. New York: T.Y. Crowell &, 1885. Print.