Nonviolence in social sciences: towards a consensual definition

Abstract

Non violence, non-violence or nonviolence? Nonviolence can be defined as a methodology, an ethical-political doctrine, a way to build peace that is oriented towards a coherent philosophy, seeking a love of knowledge, experimentation and life. In the Latin American and Spanish academia there is ignorance about how to describe this concept. This article tries to find a consensus on this controversy. The controversy lies in its morpho-syntactic confusion, attributing definitions or inappropriate actions. We believe that the building of a consensus definition needs to be from what it is not (on the various forms of violence), the presentation of some principles-values (Refusal to Kill/ Dignified life; To search the truth/Tolerance and not having the truth; Active dialogue and listening/Empathy and humanism; Alternative and creative modes of thought/Anthropological optimism and opening) on which it may be based and the arguments concerning the relationship means-purposes and consequences of the use of violence (especially with some historical experiences). All of this should allow us to better define such a complex concept as nonviolence.