Pathways of peace: the philosophy and sociology of peace and nonviolence

This book explores the close interconnection that exists between sociological and philosophical scholarship in relation to peace studies. Through an examination of the thought of nine leading philosophers and sociologists in their historical and geographical context, the author considers notions of nonviolent resistance, pacifism and reverse strike, as well as violence theories of conflict, theories of conflict resolution, the problem of war, and political transitions towards democratization. Engaging with the work of Thoreau, Gandhi, Ghaffar Khan, Capitini, Dolci, Bobbio, Galtung, Sharp and Weil, and considering the institutionalisation of peace research, this volume will appeal to scholars and students of sociology, politics and philosophy with interest in peace and security studies, and conflict.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Note -- References -- 1. On civil disobedience and nonviolence -- The socio-ethical origins of civil disobedience -- The civil disobedience of Henry David Thoreau -- Ahimsa and Truth at the service of satyagraha in Gandhi -- The nonviolent Islam of Abdul Ghaffar Khan -- Notes -- References -- 2. The European pathway to peace -- Peace traditions during the world wars -- The disillusionment of the oppressed in Simone Weil -- Aldo Capitini's philosophy of the socio-religious change towards omnicracy -- The institutional pacifism of Norberto Bobbio -- The nonviolent means for social change in the sociology of Danilo Dolci -- Notes -- References -- 3. The origins of academic peace research -- Peace research enters the academia -- Research paradigms and methodologies between the 1950s and early 1960s -- The development of research methods between late 1960s and 1980s -- Notes -- References -- 4. The sociological peace research of Johan Galtung -- Life and theoretical influences -- Diagnosis, prognosis and therapy: medical science as a model for social research -- Violence and peace theories -- Conflict theory and the transcend method -- The development theory, the theory of civilization and peace economics -- The main critics of Galtung's theory -- Notes -- References -- 5. The nonviolent strategy of Gene Sharp -- Life and theoretical influences -- What happened to Gandhi? Discourses on the method of nonviolence -- On nonviolent action policy -- The Machiavelli of nonviolence -- The Von Clausewitz of nonviolent warfare -- From dictatorship to democracy through realistic alternatives -- Academic critiques of Sharp -- Note -- References -- Conclusions -- References -- Index