Routledge The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence (Routledge Handbooks in Philosophy)

Interest in pacifism―an idea with a long history in philosophical thought and in several religious traditions―is growing. The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence is the first comprehensive reference designed to introduce newcomers and researchers to the many varieties of pacifism and nonviolence, to their history and philosophy, and to pacifism’s most serious critiques. The volume offers 32 brand new chapters from the world’s leading experts across a diverse range of fields, who together provide a broad discussion of pacifism and nonviolence in connection with virtue ethics, capital punishment, animal ethics, ecology, queer theory, and feminism, among other areas. This Handbook is divided into four sections: (1) Historical and Tradition-Specific Considerations, (2) Conceptual and Moral Considerations, (3) Social and Political Considerations, and (4) Applications. It concludes with an Afterword by James Lawson, one of the icons of the nonviolent American Civil Rights movement. The text will be invaluable to scholars and students, as well as to activists and general readers interested in peace, nonviolence, and critical perspectives on war and violence. Review "This groundbreaking collection of essays is more than simply a ‘handbook.’ These essays are models of rigor and clarity, presenting a sophisticated defense of pacifist thought while offering a compelling vision of a peaceful and just world. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that pacifism is more than a noble and idealist dream, more than an ethics of war, but a practical and conceptually well-grounded basis for a philosophy of life." --Charles Brown, Emporia State University   "To my knowledge, The Routledge Handbook of Pacifism and Nonviolence is a more ambitious and comprehensive book than any other collection of writings on pacifism and nonviolence ever published. Written by scholars and activists with knowledge and passion, and carefully edited by Andrew Fiala, this book will be our standard reference on pacifism and nonviolence for decades to come." --Predrag Cicovacki, College of the Holy Cross   "This Handbook brings together invaluable and wide-ranging perspectives on pacifism and nonviolence, thereby enabling further creative interaction and useful integration of those perspectives. It is really impossible to think how it could be better." --James P. Sterba, University of Notre Dame About the Author Andrew Fiala is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Ethics Center at Fresno State University, USA. A former president of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, his publications include The Just War Myth (2008), Public War, Private Conscience (2010), The Bloomsbury Companion to Political Philosophy (editor, 2015), Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, 9th edition (with Barbara MacKinnon, 2017), and Transformative Pacifism (forthcoming).