P

Pacifism, in the absolute sense in which the word is here used, is a political stance that is unusually indebted to religion. Its insistence that war is never justified--not even in self-defense--originated in attempts by Christian sects to promote what they believed to be the authentic scriptural position. Pacifism developed into a movement, albeit a very small one, in certain Protestant countries--those, of which Britain and the United States are the leading examples, characterized also by liberal political cultures and a relatively high measure of security from invasion. Elsewhere pacifism has mostly been confined to individuals or sects whose beliefs have become a matter of public knowledge only when brought into the open by their refusal to serve in the military. And although in recent years its legitimacy has increased in many countries, this growing acceptance can partly be attributed to the fact that its support has everywhere been too limited to threaten the defense effort.