ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the ideas of pacifists and proponents of nonviolence in many traditions, while also providing examples of how these ideas can be applied in various cases. It focuses on historical, social, religious, and ethical issues arising in the philosophical study of pacifism and nonviolence. The book includes essays in the history of pacifism and nonviolence as well as essays focused on diverse religious and cultural traditions. It contains essays on pacifism in moral theory and the morality of pacifism. The book offers essays that connect pacifism and nonviolence to issues in social and political philosophy. It applies pacifism and nonviolence to concrete issues. The book concludes with an essay by Reverend James Lawson, a student of Gandhian nonviolence who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the American civil rights movement.
