Pacifism

Pacifism, belief that violence is never justified and hence that peaceful means should always be employed to settle disputes. A pacifist may refuse not only to use force but also to abet its use, as by refusing to help produce weapons of war. Pacifists who refuse to serve in the armed forces are called conscientious objectors. Supporters of nuclear disarmament or opponents of specific wars are not necessarily pacifists.

See also: Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand; King, Martin Luther, Jr.