VI. NON-RESISTANCE 36
The Mennonites 37
The New England Non-Resistants 39
Tolstoy 41
VII. ACTIVE GOODWILL AND RECONCILIATION 43
Action in the Face of Persecution 44
Coercion or Persuasion? 46
Ministering to Groups in Conflict 47
The Power of Example 48
Work for Social Reform 49
Political Action and Compromise 50
The Third Alternative 51
VIII. CONCLUSIONS 54
* * * * *
PREFACE
The purpose of the present study is to analyze the various positions
found within the pacifist movement itself in regard to the use of
non-violent techniques of bringing about social change in group
relationships. In its attempt to differentiate between them, it makes no
pretense of determining which of the several pacifist positions is
ethically most valid. Hence it is concerned with the application of
non-violent principles in practice and their effectiveness in achieving
group purposes, rather than with the philosophical and religious
foundations of such principles. It is hoped that the study may help
individuals to clarify their thinking within this field, but the author
has no brief for one method as against the others. Each person must
determine his own principles of action on the basis of his conception of
the nature of the universe and his own scale of ethical values.
The examples chosen to illustrate the various positions have been taken
largely from historical situations in this country and in Europe,
because our traditional education has made us more familiar with the
history of these areas than with that of other parts of the world. It
also seemed that the possibilities of employing non-violent methods of
social change would be more apparent if it was evident that they had
been used in the West, and were not only applicable in Oriental
societies. It is unfortunate that this deliberate choice has eliminated
such valuable illustrative material as the work of Kagawa in Japan. The
exception to this general rule in the case of "Satyagraha" has been made
because of the wide-spread discussion of this movement in all parts of
the world in our day.
I want to acknowledge with great appreciation the suggestions I have
obtained from the preliminary work done for the Pacifist Research Bureau
in this field by Russell Curtis and Haridas T. Muzumdar.
THEODORE PAULLIN
July 1, 1944
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION TO NON-VIOLENCE
* * * * *
I. INTRODUCTION: ON TERMS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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