Captain Shunsui Kyōraku (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sake_shinigami) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2020-02-24 05:45 am
sake_shinigami) wrote in fandomhigh2020-02-24 05:45 am
Entry tags:
The Art of Pacifism; Monday, Second Period [02/24].
"Ahhhh ♥," Shunsui, as always, had a happy little smile for his students as they came into class, found their spot in the discussion circle, and could take up their cups of cocoa, "good morning, my little ducklings ♥. I hope you are all ready for another venture into the Art of Pacifism ♥! Now, my notes suggested a unit on self-defence at this point in the course, but, well, that's a topic that covers a series of classes, and with the break coming up next week, I thought it best to save those for when we get back ♥. So, instead, you'll have to forgive me at least one more rambling exploration into another sort of pacifism, and that would be the art of anarcho-pacifism ♥."
"Anarchy, for the most part, describes a political state that has no publicly recognized government or enforced political authority ♥; this does not necessarily imply political disorder, though, typically, there exists some element of that kind ♥. And while it is certainly not essential or even common to the movement, many people have a preconceived notion of violence inherent in anarchism; it is a belief that sometimes propagates tearing down the social and political structures through violent and loud demonstrations and destruction; anarcho-pacifism focuses more on the peaceful and non-violent approach to anarchist tenants ♥."
"One of the most notable figures of this aspect of the movement is a American man by the name of Henry David Thoreau; he wrote an essay entitled Civil Disobedience, which I am now passing around for you to look through," which he didn't really expect from most of them, "while we talk ♥. It was first published in 1849 and argues that people should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have a duty to avoid allowing the government to make them the agents of injustice ♥. He was inspired by the plights of slavery and the Mexican-American war, and accesses that governments are more harmful to people than they are helpful; government is primarily an agent of corruption and injustice. It is, he says, 'not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize.'
"But how does one revolutionize without violence? Thoreau proposed that people not wait to vote for a change in the hope that justice will come, because not only must one wait, but a vote, he claims, is a mere wish for change ♥. What one must do is to just be just. If one hopes for the world to be just, then one must not commit injustices, nor must they give injustice their practical support ♥. And participating in an unjust system is supporting it. Paying taxes, for example, was something Thoreau was well known to refuse to do; he refused to allow his money pay for a government that supports slavery and war. He is also well known for a book entitled Walden, which reflects on his years living simply and an attempt to be free of the world around him in the woods of Massachusetts.
"Of course, a government is likely to retaliate in response to person who refuses to obey the laws of the land, so Thoreau lived his life very simply; if he did not have much, then he could not possibly lose much. He did not refuse all taxes. He happily paid taxes for social services, like the highway tax, as it had a benefit to his neighbours to have good roads for travel. But anything that supported the government directly was right out, and he hoped to reason with government on improving itself to a more anarchist state: 'Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man? There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.' ♥"
"Thoreau's Civil Disobedience inspired others in anarcho-pacifism, including Leo Tolstoy, who then inspired people like Dorothy Day ♥. Tolstoy in particular argued that anarchism must by nature be nonviolent since it is, by definition, opposition to coercion and force, and that since the state is inherently violent, meaningful pacifism must likewise be anarchistic ♥. One of the first and largest anarcho-pacifist movements even bears his name, even: the Tolstoyan movement< throughout the peasantry of Russia, inspired by Tolstoy's writings and philosophies. It was based heavily on Christian teaching, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, which I am also passing out for you. ♥ Refusing to acknowledge the Tsarist regime, many of the peasants of this revolution were prosecuted and even outright killed for their refusal; a bit heavier of a consequence than Thoreau was relegated to suffer, and a great many of their numbers were killed off entirely.
"Modern anarcho-pacifists have tended to concentrate their attention largely on the creation of libertarian communities, particularly farming communities, within present society, as a kind of peaceful version of the propaganda by deed, which often used violent acts to, as it were, 'ignite the spirit of revolution.
"I could speak of the development of anarcho-pacifism all day, really ♥." Shunsui gave a smile to the class. "As you can tell, it is a deeply philosophical and often literary philosophy, with a deep and involved history, as many of these facets of pacifism tend to be. But you are not here just to listen to me speak," no matter how often that seemed to be the case; they were a rather quiet bunch, weren't they?, "you are here to have voices yourselves ♥. The usual questions, then, follow: what are your thoughts on anarcho-pacifism? Or anarchy as a philosophy as a whole?"
He expected some potentially interesting thoughts on that question with this bunch.
"Can you think of other forms of practising anarcho-pacifism, and what are your own experiences, if any, with it ♥? Is it something you think could be effective? Or is it just a bunch of romantic dreamers attempting to live a life difficult to obtain ♥? What about the deeper political reasoning here....is a government naturally unjust? Are certain disagreements and injustices requisite to have a well-functioning society? Can you pick and choose from the good and the bad, or do they all have to be taken together?
"So much to discuss ♥! We'd best get started ♥!"
[[ and ocd ison the way! up! ]]
"Anarchy, for the most part, describes a political state that has no publicly recognized government or enforced political authority ♥; this does not necessarily imply political disorder, though, typically, there exists some element of that kind ♥. And while it is certainly not essential or even common to the movement, many people have a preconceived notion of violence inherent in anarchism; it is a belief that sometimes propagates tearing down the social and political structures through violent and loud demonstrations and destruction; anarcho-pacifism focuses more on the peaceful and non-violent approach to anarchist tenants ♥."
"One of the most notable figures of this aspect of the movement is a American man by the name of Henry David Thoreau; he wrote an essay entitled Civil Disobedience, which I am now passing around for you to look through," which he didn't really expect from most of them, "while we talk ♥. It was first published in 1849 and argues that people should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have a duty to avoid allowing the government to make them the agents of injustice ♥. He was inspired by the plights of slavery and the Mexican-American war, and accesses that governments are more harmful to people than they are helpful; government is primarily an agent of corruption and injustice. It is, he says, 'not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize.'
"But how does one revolutionize without violence? Thoreau proposed that people not wait to vote for a change in the hope that justice will come, because not only must one wait, but a vote, he claims, is a mere wish for change ♥. What one must do is to just be just. If one hopes for the world to be just, then one must not commit injustices, nor must they give injustice their practical support ♥. And participating in an unjust system is supporting it. Paying taxes, for example, was something Thoreau was well known to refuse to do; he refused to allow his money pay for a government that supports slavery and war. He is also well known for a book entitled Walden, which reflects on his years living simply and an attempt to be free of the world around him in the woods of Massachusetts.
"Of course, a government is likely to retaliate in response to person who refuses to obey the laws of the land, so Thoreau lived his life very simply; if he did not have much, then he could not possibly lose much. He did not refuse all taxes. He happily paid taxes for social services, like the highway tax, as it had a benefit to his neighbours to have good roads for travel. But anything that supported the government directly was right out, and he hoped to reason with government on improving itself to a more anarchist state: 'Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man? There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.' ♥"
"Thoreau's Civil Disobedience inspired others in anarcho-pacifism, including Leo Tolstoy, who then inspired people like Dorothy Day ♥. Tolstoy in particular argued that anarchism must by nature be nonviolent since it is, by definition, opposition to coercion and force, and that since the state is inherently violent, meaningful pacifism must likewise be anarchistic ♥. One of the first and largest anarcho-pacifist movements even bears his name, even: the Tolstoyan movement< throughout the peasantry of Russia, inspired by Tolstoy's writings and philosophies. It was based heavily on Christian teaching, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, which I am also passing out for you. ♥ Refusing to acknowledge the Tsarist regime, many of the peasants of this revolution were prosecuted and even outright killed for their refusal; a bit heavier of a consequence than Thoreau was relegated to suffer, and a great many of their numbers were killed off entirely.
"Modern anarcho-pacifists have tended to concentrate their attention largely on the creation of libertarian communities, particularly farming communities, within present society, as a kind of peaceful version of the propaganda by deed, which often used violent acts to, as it were, 'ignite the spirit of revolution.
"I could speak of the development of anarcho-pacifism all day, really ♥." Shunsui gave a smile to the class. "As you can tell, it is a deeply philosophical and often literary philosophy, with a deep and involved history, as many of these facets of pacifism tend to be. But you are not here just to listen to me speak," no matter how often that seemed to be the case; they were a rather quiet bunch, weren't they?, "you are here to have voices yourselves ♥. The usual questions, then, follow: what are your thoughts on anarcho-pacifism? Or anarchy as a philosophy as a whole?"
He expected some potentially interesting thoughts on that question with this bunch.
"Can you think of other forms of practising anarcho-pacifism, and what are your own experiences, if any, with it ♥? Is it something you think could be effective? Or is it just a bunch of romantic dreamers attempting to live a life difficult to obtain ♥? What about the deeper political reasoning here....is a government naturally unjust? Are certain disagreements and injustices requisite to have a well-functioning society? Can you pick and choose from the good and the bad, or do they all have to be taken together?
"So much to discuss ♥! We'd best get started ♥!"
[[ and ocd is
Sign In - AoP, 02/24.
Re: Sign In - AoP, 02/24.
Re: Sign In - AoP, 02/24.
Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/24.
Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/24.
So then it just became a matter of whether or not to say anything, and, if she did, what would she say, since she hardly wanted to spark up anything that would bring Ingrid back out and up to the forefront of her mind.
Discussion - AoP, 02/24.
Is napping in class just another form of effective anarho-pacifism? Or daydreaming during lectures? Or skipping class altogether?
Not that the narrative meant to point fingers, of course!
Talk to Shunsui - AoP, 02/24.
OOC - AoP, 02/24.