Conditional pacifismĬonditional pacifists are against war and violence in principle, but they accept that there may be circumstances when war will be less bad than the alternative.Ĭonditional pacifists usually base their moral code on Utilitarian principles - it's the bad consequences that make it wrong to resort to war or violence.
It views it as unethical to use violence to rescue an innocent person who is being attacked and may be killed, and this is not a comfortable moral position.Ībsolute pacifists usually hold this view as a basic moral or spiritual principle, without regard to the results of war or violence, however they could logically argue that violence always leads to worse results than non-violence. To stick to this principle consistently is hard.
They think that the value of human life is so high that nothing can justify killing a person deliberately. Types of pacifism Types of pacifism Absolute pacifismĪn absolute pacifist believes that it is never right to take part in war, even in self-defence. A pacifist can logically support euthanasia and abortion, although they would need to have thought their position through very carefully. Pacifists are often thought of as totally opposed to killing, but they don't have to be. Not appreciating this difference can lead to real difficulties in discussing pacifism and non-violence. It's important to see the difference between the morality of pacifism as it applies to an individual, and the application of that morality to the behaviour of a nation-state. (Consider for example whether the preservation of peace throughout the British Empire justified the human rights violations of that colonial regime.) Levels of pacifism They argue that it must include action to promote justice and human rights. Many believe that pacifism is more than opposition to war.
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