From time immemorial, people have suffered from violence and war. Through the tunnel of history passed the "prophets" who defended peace and quiet. Today, these warriors of peace and light are called pacifists.
The concepts of "pacifist" and "pacifism"
The word "pacifism" has Latin roots and means "peacekeeping", "peace-carrying". This concept summarizes ideology, social movement and philosophical directions, the single purpose of which is the fight against violence, the establishment of peace, the prevention of war and bloodshed. It often merges with the anti-militarist movement and the anti-imperialist struggle, since it has a common ideological root for them to prevent violence against the individual.
A pacifist is a participant, a supporter of the peace movement. A person who promotes the complete elimination of cruelty, defining it as an immoral phenomenon. The methods of struggle of the pacifists are also non-violent: peaceful rallies, manifestos, compromise through negotiations.
The origins of pacifism
The meaning of the word "pacifist" received a scientific definition only in the 19th century, although from the very birth of mankind there has been a confrontation between the forces of good and evil.
It is believed that the foundation of pacifism, its cradle, is Buddhism. This religious and philosophical doctrine has the main doctrine of non-violence and peaceful coexistence of all mankind. Siddhartha Gautama - the founder of Buddhism, in fact, the first known pacifist. This is it in the VI century BC. e. propagated enlightenment and spiritual awakening through the development of the mind and heart.
Historical Milestones of the Peace Movement
Further, the first Christians took the baton of anti-war. In the II century BC e. they refused military service in order not to participate in wars and not to kill people. Many have been martyred for this, but historical documents testify to their incredible stoicism and faith in Christ.
Pacifism faltered when Christians accepted the idea of a “just” war. The Christian religion began to teach that any war of liberation and the struggle against the enemy are sacred. But they vowed never to start the war first, not to go aggression against the unarmed, to uphold the "God's peace" around the world.
In the XVI-XVII centuries, religious wars swept across Europe . It was the time of the Reformation, when the united Christian world broke up into many national churches. This fact had mixed historical consequences: the brutal bloodshed spawned many anti-war movements throughout continental Europe. Its prominent representatives were Alexander Mack, George Fox, Grebel, Marpek, Simons, Erasmus of Rotterdam.
The Napoleonic Wars served as the impetus for the emergence of another wave of pacifism. Anti-war demonstrations, international congresses were held, pacifists demanded to ban all military operations, completely disarm all countries, and resolve inter-state disputes in court.
In Russia in the 19th century, the famous pacifist lived. This is L. N. Tolstoy. His works for the peaceful transformation of society and the impossibility of any social transformations by violent methods made a huge contribution to the ideology of pacifism.
Pacifist flag
After World War II, which claimed millions of lives, pacifism became an extremely popular concept. The pacifists place human development at the head of the principles of humanity, mutual respect and individual freedom. Now the pacifist is not just a separate leader who advocates for world peace, but also a member of an organized multimillion-dollar movement with its own doctrines, offices and international representations.
In 1958, pacifists took the symbol for their sign, the basis of which was the rune Algiz. Its traditional meaning is protection, upward consciousness. Inverted, it resembles a tree, rooted in the earth, symbolizing the secret of ancient knowledge and wisdom.
The pacifists depict this sign on their flags, fluttering in the hands of demonstrators at anti-nuclear rallies and over the offices of world defenders.