Nonviolence And Just War Theory - 2838 Words

Nonviolence and Just War Theory â€Å"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.† (Matthew 5:9) Historically, there has been consistent disagreement between political philosophers regarding the possibility of a justification of war. Theorists from Grotius to Gandhi have from time immemorial argued about whether violence can ever be sanctioned as a viable recourse for preventing evil. History itself, at various times, seems to offer lessons regarding the complexity of the issue—demonstrating both the human capacity, if unchecked, to cause immense destruction and evil and the inherent destruction that accompanies the common means of using war and violence to rid the world of such evils. However, it is clear that neither†¦show more content†¦Nonviolence, on the other hand, has no cause for fear†¦nonviolence has to cultivate the capacity for sacrifice of the highest type in order to be free from fear. (Kibriya, p. 68) What is essential here for Gandhi is that nonviolence is inherently linked to sacrifice, not struggle. This is to say that while a warrior participates in violence in an attempt to prevent potential harm to himself (we might term this the courage of self-defense), the practitioner of nonviolence instead learns to accept the harm, and in doing so participates in a higher act of virtue—the courage of willing self-sacrifice. However, as Terry Beitzel points out, Gandhi’s commitment to nonviolence is not solely based on his understanding of the virtue of courage. Rather, Gandhi makes a normative commitment to nonviolence on the basis that it has epistemological value. Beitzel writes: For Gandhi, life is an experiment with Truth. That is, as we seek truth, we enter a process of moving toward it—a process we never cease because we never fully arrive. Because of our finitude, we must always be learning from others, including our adversaries. Truth is too big, and we are each to limited, to think that we may know the truth fully. (Beitzel, p. 63) It is this semi-skeptic pluralism that forms the background to Gandhi’s understanding of nonviolence. But it is not simply based in his belief in the infinite and thus unknowable nature of truth; rather,Show MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr.922 Words   |  4 Pageswhere racial tensions were high and not everyone was treated equally. He fought for a world where there would be no more segregation and no more disparity between the ways blacks are viewed compared to that of whites. In doing so, he preaches about nonviolence in order to keep the movement honorable. 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Carter claimed, â€Å"He had developed his distinctive theory and practice of nonviolent action and his own social theory† (Carter 1). Gandhi believed that fighting only makes a situation worse, therefore, he became a leader who guides us through the path and non-v iolence at a time when the forces of violence was becoming more prevalentRead MoreThe Ends Justify the Means1113 Words   |  5 Pagessuch ideas and their concepts can be directly applied to the example presented in Mississippi Burning. Dr. King echoed nonviolent protest even through his greatest struggles. In his â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail†, King still evoked the want for nonviolence against those who committed acts of injustice. Even though he deplored the actions that the members of the white community were doing, he still stressed the need for a peaceful campaign. â€Å"It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in