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Would pacifism be compatible with libertarianism?

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Angurse replied on Tue, Sep 8 2009 10:44 AM

SilentXtarian:
No, you misunderstand.  I do reject violence.  I feel that if you are being attacked though that you should be able to defend yourself.  However, I would rather not have these wars happen in the first place.

If defending yourself involves exerting physical force, then you haven't really rejected violence.

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Angurse:

SilentXtarian:
No, you misunderstand.  I do reject violence.  I feel that if you are being attacked though that you should be able to defend yourself.  However, I would rather not have these wars happen in the first place.

If defending yourself involves exerting physical force, then you haven't really rejected violence.

I reject the idea of violence.  My preference is that it would not happen in the first place.  As another member said- not all pacifists reject completely the use of violence- I happen to be one of those pacifists.

 

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Angurse replied on Tue, Sep 8 2009 11:03 AM

SilentXtarian:
I reject the idea of violence.  My preference is that it would not happen in the first place.  As another member said- not all pacifists reject completely the use of violence- I happen to be one of those pacifists.

And as others and myeslf have said using the term pacifism in such a manner is simply a misuse of the traditional definition. You could conceivably call rapists and murders pacifists with such loose definitions.

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Natalie replied on Tue, Sep 8 2009 11:10 AM

Pacifism as a personal conviction is very admirable.

As long is it not being pushed on anyone else.

If I hear not allowed much oftener; said Sam, I'm going to get angry.

J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

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SilentXtarian:
I reject the idea of violence.  My preference is that it would not happen in the first place.  As another member said- not all pacifists reject completely the use of violence- I happen to be one of those pacifists.

You make a lot of threads based around confusion of labels, and an inability to articulate your own ideas clearly.

If you find something evil that wobbles, push it. - Gary North

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Juan replied on Tue, Sep 8 2009 1:42 PM
And as others and myeslf have said using the term pacifism in such a manner is simply a misuse of the traditional definition.
And you are wrong. Pacifism can mean rejection of war, not rejection of all kinds of individual self-defense.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pacifism

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Juan is technically correct. However, most people (myself included) tend to think of absolute anti-violence when the term "pacifism" is used. But it also has been used to more specifically refer to anti-war sentiments.

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Angurse replied on Tue, Sep 8 2009 3:28 PM

Juan:
And you are wrong. Pacifism can mean rejection of war, not rejection of all kinds of individual self-defense.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pacifism

So technically rapists and murders can be pacifists, generally people don't tend to think of the term in such a manner.

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liberty student:

SilentXtarian:
I reject the idea of violence.  My preference is that it would not happen in the first place.  As another member said- not all pacifists reject completely the use of violence- I happen to be one of those pacifists.

You make a lot of threads based around confusion of labels, and an inability to articulate your own ideas clearly.

Hmmm... I didn't intend to make this a thread to be around other people's misperception about what pacifism is.  I do reject violence and war but I don't support a NAP.  The reason why I don't support an NAP?  I believe that even most of the time that self-defense wars are wrong.  That doesn't mean that these nations shouldn't defend themselves.  It just means that I don't support the concept because the war is still wrong in the first place.  Two wrongs don't make a right.  I've put some thought in my views on war and I've come to that conclusion yesterday night.  I can see what users are saying about how you can't just support self-defensive wars if you're a pacifist.  The view is incompatible with pacifism.  

 

I don't think I'm confused on the label here... I think it's more that other people are confused about where I stand.  I don't support NAP.  As for my inability to articulate my ideas clearly... I don't think that I really have that issue.  If you could show where I wasn't that good at articulating my ideas clearly... please do.  I thought I was making it pretty clear that I reject the idea of war- but- not self-defense.  

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so you're saying that you reject a self-defense war but not self-defense individually (meaning you defending yourself), but how does this reject the NAP?  A society, if cooperating with an NAP mind-set wouldn't coerce a person, a draft, into fighting what might be a defensive war.  Coercion to fight in a defensive war or even to coerce somebody to defend their individual self is un-NAP.  What's all the hub-bub?Big Smile

"I used to see a mountain as a mountain.. Thereafter.. when I saw a mountain; lo! it was not a mountain.. yet now of final tranquillity: I see a mountain just as a mountain as I used to.." - Master Yuan; molon labe

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"consequential pacifist" - isn't better to be just a free man?

Libertarianism makes you free to be the pacifist - under attack you can fight back or surrender - your choice.

 

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