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Mainstreaming Pacifism

Conflict, Success, and Ethics

Sara Trovato

Mainstreaming Pacifism. Conflict, success, and ethics takes on the challenge of answering the widespread objection that pacifism is ineffective.
The book proposes a classification of 11 effectual means to an end (fraud, violence, force, gain, legality, masses, ideology, dialogue, humanity, time, vulnerability), and shows how such means have been at work both in the pages of classical political authors (Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Marx and Gandhi) and throughout history. Such effectual means are not only theoretically described, but are related to up-to-date experimental research, are observed in action when conflicts arise, and the general laws that govern their functioning are described. The main goal of the book is to show that violence is only one of such potentially successful political means. In presence of the political decision to act peacefully in international relations, apt combinations of non-violent effectual means may succeed over violence.
The challenge taken on in this book is staying faithful to the topic of political success, while offering arguments for a peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The result is an original cross-investigation, which gives visibility to an intriguing notion, effectuality, that has been silently at work throughout political philosophy, without ever having been thematized.

Lexington Books / Political Economic Forum

Pages: 264 • Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜

978-0-7391-8718-0 • Hardback • December 2015 • $109.00 • (£84.00)

978-0-7391-8719-7 • eBook • December 2015 • $103.50 • (£80.00)

Subjects: Philosophy / Political, Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Philosophy / Methodology

Mainstreaming Pacifism

Conflict, Success, and Ethics

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Mainstreaming Pacifism. Conflict, success, and ethics takes on the challenge of answering the widespread objection that pacifism is ineffective.
The book proposes a classification of 11 effectual means to an end (fraud, violence, force, gain, legality, masses, ideology, dialogue, humanity, time, vulnerability), and shows how such means have been at work both in the pages of classical political authors (Machiavelli, Montesquieu, Marx and Gandhi) and throughout history. Such effectual means are not only theoretically described, but are related to up-to-date experimental research, are observed in action when conflicts arise, and the general laws that govern their functioning are described. The main goal of the book is to show that violence is only one of such potentially successful political means. In presence of the political decision to act peacefully in international relations, apt combinations of non-violent effectual means may succeed over violence.
The challenge taken on in this book is staying faithful to the topic of political success, while offering arguments for a peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The result is an original cross-investigation, which gives visibility to an intriguing notion, effectuality, that has been silently at work throughout political philosophy, without ever having been thematized.

Details

Lexington Books / Political Economic Forum

Pages: 264 • Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜

978-0-7391-8718-0 • Hardback • December 2015 • $109.00 • (£84.00)

978-0-7391-8719-7 • eBook • December 2015 • $103.50 • (£80.00)

Subjects: Philosophy / Political, Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Philosophy / Methodology

Author

Sara Trovato earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy and Letters at Université Catholique de Louvain.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1. Machiavelli

Chapter 2. Montesquieu
Chapter 3. Marx
Chapter 4. Gandhi
Conclusion

Reviews

Exploiting Machiavelli’s category of effectuality, and taking into account the thought of Marx, Montesquieu, and especially Gandhi, "a master of effectuality," the author explores in a novel and inspiring way a collection of effective alternative means to violence in the conduct of political conflict and the struggle for justice. The book is a significant contribution to a viable political pacifism for the twenty-first century.
— Giuliano Pontara, Stockholm University

Mainstreaming Pacifism

Conflict, Success, and Ethics

Sara Trovato

Mainstreaming Pacifism

Conflict, Success, and Ethics

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