Nonviolence Thinkers Definitions

Nonviolence (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no longer a pious ideal to pay lip service to: renouncing violence without second thoughts has become the condition for the survival of humanity and of each of us.

Nonviolence (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠only renounces striking first is a sham: no one ever thinks he struck first, so what must go is the right to reprisal, even to self-defence.

Nonviolence (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a contract, kept only while the other side keeps it; if it were, it would be one more farce, like institutionalized revenge or the United Nations.

Nonviolence (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not fatal in itself; it turns mortal only because others refuse it — if all offered the other cheek, no cheek would be struck.

Nonviolence (n.) has ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the superior logic: violence may have the last word for now, but only non-violence can understand both itself and its opposite.

Nonviolence (n.) seems ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an indifference in a God above human affairs; taken as a model for how people treat each other, it changes character completely.