01/29/2023
Define "Morality" ... what is morality to you? What does a moral code mean to your sense of self / one's intrinsic self? What does morality mean to you in reference to another? Can you live a life of Nonviolence without Morality being at the apex/ forefront? What does morality mean in regard to it's existence being embedded within your other characteristics (is morality in conflict or collaboration with your other self important ideals and/ or your actions)? Is morality complex or straight-forward? Where does Morality come from, is it learned/ taught by others or through life's experience? Can Morality change? How is Morality identified? Can you knowingly make negative self and other oriented good or bad choices/ decisions/ congruent/ consistent and or inconsistent words and actions if Morality is a concrete part of your Jungian true self archetype? Do you require Morality to be part of another's being and limit your self reflection, introspection of Morality?
Morality is not easy to define, perhaps; however it is insurmountably important to ponder,, analyze,, and define within and for one's self... self harmony, peace, happiness. these are questions. I ask all to ponder, answer, reflect upon, as Nonviolence Alliance will be posting more on Morality, in addition; to past posts, such as; Kohlberg's Stages and beliefs of Morality, including; but not limited to; "The Heinz Dilemma," previously posted (search for morality in Nonviolence Alliance's search tool, if you missed past posts on Morality).
Interesting & brief article on Nonviolence and Morality= Principled Nonviolence
"Principles of Nonviolence"/ Sustaining Community:
1. Nonviolence is a way of life.
2. Violence is rejected as a means of control and resolving disputes.
3. There is an active commitment to peace and social justice.
4. The means are consistent with the ends
Power is understood as arising out of relationships.
5. There is a profound respect for humanity
Actions are based on love.
6. There is a commitment to truth and openness.
7. Spiritual beliefs and qualities are valued
There is a willingness to accept suffering in order to create change.
8. There are two broad approaches to nonviolence: tactical nonviolence and principled nonviolence.
A. Tactical nonviolence is based on the belief that nonviolence is one tactic or strategy among a range of choices (Bond, 1994; Sharp, 1973a; Zunes, Kurtz, & Asher, 1999).
From this perspective: Nonviolent action is a generic term covering dozens of specific methods of protest, noncooperation and intervention, in all of which the actionists conduct the conflict by doing – or refusing to do – certain things without using physical violence. As a technique, therefore, nonviolent action is not passive. It is not inaction. It is action that is nonviolent (Sharp, 1973b, p. 64, emphasis in original).
B. Principled nonviolence is built on a commitment to nonviolence as a philosophy or a way of life, and the belief that nonviolence is morally superior to violence (Burgess & Burgess, 1994; Burrowes, 1994; Moyer, 1999b). Those who adopt a principled approach to nonviolence argue that it “is not simply a matter of abstinence from physical or verbal violence, it is an attitude of mind, an emotional orientation towards loving care and concern” (Curle, 1995, p. 17).
From this perspective nonviolence is: A means of breaking the cycle of violence; it is a moral method of social change which is not passive nor violent; it requires human commitment but not military might; and it seeks to change but not to completely destroy relationships. Employing nonviolence entails breaking from our traditional patterns of resolving conflicts; patterns which distribute power to the strongest and the most violent (Woehrle, 1993, p. 209).
For individuals of principled nonviolence, the issue is not whether or not nonviolence is more effective than violence but rather that, regardless of what other people do, nonviolence is the morally right thing to do (Burgess & Burgess, 1994, pp. 13-14).
According to the Feminism and Nonviolence Study Group (1983), nonviolence is "a principle and a technique, a set of ideas about how life should be lived and a strategy for social change" (p. 26).
A principled nonviolent advocate, defined; an educated and professionally trained individual who live in accord with actions consistent with nonviolence whom embodies Nonviolence & teaches the works actions, thoughts, etc. there of.
Here I concentrate on literature discussing principled nonviolence. Due to the broad focus of principled nonviolence, there are problems with the word nonviolence itself since it implies that “we are still thinking in terms of violence” (Starhawk, 2001, p. 2).
Mahatma Gandhi was dissatisfied with norm of the use and life of Morality and knew upon living, his life- it entailed more than the word- Nonviolence, or Ahimsa (Gandhi, secondary literature) and so, following introspective self analysis, to find a more appropriate description, he introduced Satyagraha, to our world, as an alternative with great descriptive meanings, beyond Nonviolence itself (Gandhi, secondary literature).
It's literal meaning is “holding on to Truth and it means, therefore, Truth-force [where] Truth is soul or spirit. It is, therefore, known as soul-force” (Gandhi, 1951, p. 3).
Reid (in McAllister, 1982) argues that soul-force “implies a more assertive, positive stand than does nonviolence – that we rely on the strength of truth rather than on physical force” (p. vi).
Satyagraha relates particularly to the practice of nonviolent action; the philosophy of nonviolence is more closely related to ahimsa, which is discussed in greater depth in other articles.
Like Gandhi, Martin Luther King initially did not describe his guiding principle as Nonviolence but as Love (King, 1958, p. 84). Later, he spoke more frequently of nonviolence, which he described as “the persistent and determined application of peaceable power to offenses against the community” (King, 1967, p. 184). MLK, in both interviews and photographs, as well as, writings, gave Gandhi full acclamation and claim to his works and beliefs through action Gandhi instilled within him.
Although an alternative is needed that embodies the idea of it being more than the absence of violence, the term nonviolence has a rich tradition, is widely used and, at present, remains the best alternative.
Although satyagraha has greater depth of meaning, it has not been adopted in this study because it is strongly linked to nonviolence in the Gandhian tradition and the term has not been widely used in the West.
For some writers and activists, the hyphenated non-violence emphasises the absence of violence (Cu***ng, 1985, p. 9), whereas nonviolence, without the hyphen, refers to the broader philosophy of social change and human relationship (Boulding, 1999; Cu***ng, 1985; McAllister, 1982).
This thesis follows this convention by using nonviolence for the latter broad meaning but non-violence when discussing the absence of violence (for example in discussion of the survey and in-depth interviews) or when using quotes from other sources which retain the hyphen.
Adapted from
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