COURSE TITLE: PACIFISM AND PEACE MOVEMENTS
COURSE NUMBER: 498
SECTION TIMES/DAYS: 01 Tues/Thurs 3-4.15 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Thomas E. Buckley, S.J.
CORE AREA: None
FLAGGED:None
COURSE DESCRIPTION/PRINCIPAL TOPICS:
Opposition to war and violence is a persistent Christian tradition. This lecture/discussion course will first
survey the development of pacifist thought and action from the early Christian writers and the medieval
just war theorists to the radical Christian alternative exemplified by the Anabaptists during the
Reformation and later by the Quakers. The major emphasis will be on 19th and 20th century pacifist
thought from Garrison to Tolstoy to Gandhi to Martin Luther King; and the development of non-violent
direct action protest, particularly in the American civil rights and Vietnam anti-war movements. We will
also examine pacifist influence on the armaments races, U.S. foreign policy, and racial, ethnic, and
religious injustice.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this course, students should be able to
 identify major pacifist figures in world history and their respective contributions to the
development of pacifist thought and action,
 critically analyze the positions and arguments of both pacifists and their opponents, and
 explain the varied relationships of civil governments to pacifist belief, expression, and politics
within selected instances of anti-war activity.
PREREQUISITES/RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND
None.
REQUIRED TEXTS
All the assigned readings will be available on Blackboard. Mainly primary source materials, they include
excerpts from books, periodical articles, essays, pamphlets, and speeches of pacifists and peace advocates.
COURSE WORK/EXPECTATIONS:
Each student will write a research paper (12-15 pages) on a pacifist figure or a peace/justice movement
since 1914. Generally speaking, the paper should focus on a person or topic not covered in the assigned
readings. The topic will be selected after consultation with the instructor.
Quizzes and Exams: Reading quizzes will be given regularly throughout the semester. The midterm will
be a twenty minute oral during the week following spring break. It is best described as a friendly
conversation. A final essay exam will be given at the end of the semester.
Assessment: Each segment of the course (the quizzes, the midterm, the paper, and the final exam) is
worth 25% of the final grade. Vigorous classroom participation will enhance that grade.