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Question 1

What is Pacifism?

Answer 1

Pacifism is a philosophy that opposes all forms of violence and injustice, even in thought.

Question 2

What is Pacifism?
religious roots

Answer 2

It has religious roots (especially early Christianity) and anarchist roots (opposing authority and government violence).

Question 3

Pacifists

Answer 3

Pacifists are skeptical of government because the government is allowed to use violence (police, military, capital punishment).

Question 4

common pacifism belief

Answer 4

All types of pacifism share a common anti-war stance — war is inherently wrong.

Question 5

Core Beliefs of Pacifism:
Human Nature:

Answer 5

Humans are corrigible (capable of improvement).
Violence is learned from society (e.g., entertainment glorifying violence).

Question 6

Core Beliefs of Pacifism:
View of the State:

Answer 6

Governments often desire power and can cause violence.
Pacifists believe the state should promote peace, not war.

Question 7

Core Beliefs of Pacifism:
Equality:

Answer 7

Full equality (political, economic, social) is essential.
Early feminists like the Quakers linked feminism to pacifism.

Question 8

Core Beliefs of Pacifism:
Religion and Pacifism:

Answer 8

Christianity (especially teachings of Jesus) and Islam (meaning “peace”) both have pacifist principles. “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) points toward non-violence.

Question 9

Core Beliefs of Pacifism:
Relationships:

Answer 9

Communitarianism (we’re in it together) is valued over individualism.
Silence is valued because society normalizes chaos and noise

Question 10

Core Beliefs of Pacifism:
Rights:

Answer 10

Pacifists prioritize utility (greatest good for the greatest number) over rigid individual rights when it comes to creating peace.

Question 11

Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount:

Answer 11

“Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Question 12

Anabaptists:

Answer 12

Believed faith should be a personal choice (no infant baptism).

Separated from the government, refused government money, rejected violence (“no Christian has the right of the sword”).

Examples: Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites.

Question 13

Quakers:

Answer 13

Believed “the light of God is in everyone.”

Rejected religious rituals like infant baptism.

Advocated peace testimony (committed action, not just belief).

Gave rise to the concept of conscientious objectors — those who refuse military service on moral grounds.

Question 14

Henry David Thoreau:

Answer 14

Advocated non-violent civil disobedience (breaking unjust laws peacefully).

Refused to pay taxes to protest the US-Mexico war and slavery.

Believed governments are often more harmful than helpful.

Question 15

Leo Tolstoy:

Answer 15

Christian pacifist and anarchist.

Emphasized inner self-perfection through loving others.

Advocated non-violent persuasion instead of violence.

Opposed aristocracy, private property, traditional marriage, and even eating meat (vegetarianism as an extension of non-violence).

Question 16

Mahatma Gandhi:

Answer 16

Advocated satyagraha: complete non-violence in thought, speech, and action.

Distinguished satyagraha (complete love and non-violence) from passive resistance (non-cooperation without violence but still some resistance).

Believed in living a deliberate life (valuing manual work and simplicity).

Question 17

Ursula Franklin:

Answer 17

Canadian feminist, environmentalist, and pacifist.

Said, “Peace is not the absence of war — peace is the absence of fear.”

Connected militarism with social issues like women’s rights and environmental harm.

Talked about the importance of protecting silence and resisting the normalization of violence.

Question 18

Negative Peace:

Answer 18

Absence of war.

Question 19

Positive Peace:

Answer 19

Freedom from violence, fear, and inequality.

Question 20

Conscientious Objector:

Answer 20

A person who refuses military service on moral or religious grounds, aligning with pacifist beliefs of non-violence.

Question 21

Non-violent Civil Disobedience (Thoreau):

Answer 21

Breaking unjust laws peacefully.

Question 22

Non-violent Persuasion (Tolstoy):

Answer 22

Convincing others through love and rational conversation, not force.

Question 23

Satyagraha (Gandhi):

Answer 23

Total commitment to non-violence in all aspects of life.

Question 24

What is Anarchism?

Answer 24

Anarchism comes from Greek: “absence of rulers” or “without authority.”

It argues that government is the problem, not the solution.

Question 25

Anarchists believe the state

Answer 25

causes oppression, violence, and inequality because it has a monopoly on violence (police, military, laws).

Question 26

basic services

Answer 26

They say many basic services (like fire departments or trash collection) can happen locally without needing a massive government.

Question 27

Historically - Anarchists

Answer 27

Historically, humans lived without governments for thousands of years — governments are a recent thing (~7000 years).

Question 28

Central Beliefs of Anarchism: Human nature

Answer 28

Human Nature: People are innocent but corruptible — it’s the state and institutions that make us greedy or violent.

Question 29

Central Beliefs of Anarchism: The state

Answer 29

The State: Unnecessary, undesirable, and harmful.

Question 30

Central Beliefs of Anarchism: private property

Answer 30

Private Property: Seen as harmful because it leads to inequality. However, basic personal ownership (like tools you work with) can be okay.

Question 31

Central Beliefs of Anarchism: marriage

Answer 31

Marriage: Criticized as oppressive and tied to control, not love. Anarchists support free love — choosing relationships without the state's approval.

Question 32

Central Beliefs of Anarchism: economics

Answer 32

Economics: Support local economies — not necessarily anti-market but anti-capitalist monopolies.

Question 33

Central Beliefs of Anarchism: change

Answer 33

Change: Change might sometimes require violence because those in power won’t give it up easily.

Question 34

Different Types of Anarchists:

Answer 34

Individual Anarchism: Focus on individual freedom and resisting state control over personal life. Social Anarchism: Focus on collective good, equality, and community organization — more collectivist

Question 35

Diggers

Answer 35

Diggers: 1600s, England. Wanted to farm on common land and create a classless society.

Question 36

Levellers

Answer 36

Levellers: 1600s, England. Wanted political equality, the right to vote, and religious freedom.

Question 37

William Godwin (1756–1836):

Answer 37

Believed institutions like marriage, the church, and government corrupted natural human goodness. Wanted decentralized communities with minimal authority. Critiqued marriage as a "fraud" that tricks people into lifelong misery. Opposed private property when it caused inequality.

Question 38

Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876):

Answer 38

Activist anarchist, rival of Karl Marx. Believed revolution must immediately abolish all states. Advocated for collective ownership directly managed by workers. Thought the lumpenproletariat (poor, outsiders) should lead the revolution because they were least corrupted by capitalism. Opposed religion and any form of authority.

Question 39

Emma Goldman (1869–1940):

Answer 39

Radical anarchist and feminist. Rejected capitalism, the church, and the state. Advocated direct action (sometimes including targeted violence) to bring change. Supported free love, homosexual rights, birth control access, and worker rights. Thought voting was basically useless and distracting from real change.

Question 40

Paul Goodman (1911–1972):

Answer 40

Critiqued modern, over-managed American society (HOAs, suburbs, schools). Believed forced education (mandatory attendance) kills real learning. Advocated for more experiential, decentralized education models like Montessori. Warned about the loss of true community life.

Question 41

Misunderstandings About Anarchism:

Answer 41

Movies like The Purge misrepresent anarchism — The Purge still has the state controlling the chaos for 24 hours. The Walking Dead is a better example: no government, people have to recreate society from scratch. Governments want people to fear anarchy because they want to stay in power.

Question 42

Anarchism final points

Answer 42

Anarchism believes in human decency, autonomy, and rejecting domination. It doesn't mean chaos — it means organizing society voluntarily, without rulers. Social contracts and cooperation can happen without a formal government. Anarchists fight for freedom from state and religious control over personal life (e.g., who you marry, birth control, number of partners, etc.)

Question 43

What is Environmentalism?

Answer 43

Environmentalism is a political philosophy that advocates for heightened sensitivity and action to protect the environment. It focuses on how human activities impact nature, and proposes a range of responses—from small, personal lifestyle changes to radical political transformations.

Question 44

At its heart: 1860s–1920s

Answer 44

It promotes reduce, reuse, recycle, but emphasizes reducing consumption over just recycling. It's critical of consumerism: buying excessive goods (like multiple Stanley tumblers or black leggings) is harmful. Recognizes that capitalism encourages over-consumption for profit, not need. Environmental rights often trump individual rights (example: closing coal mines even if it hurts jobs, because the environment matters more long-term).

Question 45

Key Values of Environmentalism:

Answer 45

Human nature is best understood ecologically. Liberty and justice should extend to all sentient beings (not just humans). The state should encourage and protect biodiversity. Economics should be regulated to protect nature (opposing deregulation like "drill baby drill" mindsets). Environmental protection should be prioritized over private consumption and corporate profit.

Question 46

First Wave

Answer 46

Scientific Conservation – protecting land from privatization. Creation of Algonquin Park (1893), Sierra Club (1892). Conservation for public good.

Question 47

Second Wave 1960s–1980s

Answer 47

Political and Ideological Mobilization – government regulation, tie capitalism to environmental harm. "Diet for a Small Planet" (1971), Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962), rise of Earth Day and Green Party.

Question 48

Third Wave 1990s–present

Answer 48

Economic Approaches – how to use capitalism to promote sustainability, sustainable development goals. Brundtland Report (1987), market-based solutions like carbon taxes.

Question 49

Environmentalism vs. Ecologism:

Answer 49

Environmentalism = Try to fix problems within current systems (like capitalism). (managerial) Ecologism = Says current systems ARE the problem—we need radical, deep structural change. (paradigm shift)

Question 50

Greenbelt Act (2005):

Answer 50

Greenbelt Act (2005): 2 million acres protected in Ontario. Threatened by developers/politicians (Doug Ford).

Question 51

Buen Vivir: Indigenous

Answer 51

Buen Vivir: Indigenous concept where nature itself has rights (Constitutions of Ecuador and Bolivia).

Question 52

Deep Ecologism

Answer 52

Deep Ecologism (Arne Næss): All life has intrinsic value, not just utility to humans.

Question 53

Green Political Theory (Robert Goodin):

Answer 53

Green Political Theory (Robert Goodin): Move environmental issues into broad, mainstream politics.

Question 54

Proto-Ecologism

Answer 54

Proto-Ecologism (Rachel Carson): Early warnings about pollution and species loss (Silent Spring).

Question 55

Modern Challenges:

Answer 55

Neoliberalism: Pushes deregulation, makes it hard to protect the environment. Consumer Culture: We are trained to equate buying things with happiness/success (buying a new phone every year). Population Growth: Strain on resources—need for family planning, sexual equality. Climate Inequality: Women and the poor are hit hardest by climate change.

Question 56

What is Feminism?

Answer 56

Feminism is a political, social, and economic movement that seeks to end gender-based inequalities and challenge systems of oppression, including patriarchy, capitalism, racism, and more.

Question 57

bell hooks:

Answer 57

bell hooks: “Feminism constitutes a social, economic, and political commitment to eradicating race, class, and sexual domination.”

Question 58

Adrienne Rich

Answer 58

Adrienne Rich: Feminism is not just a theory—it’s an ethics and methodology.

Question 59

Human Nature:

Answer 59

Human Nature: Androgynous, ambiguous, and malleable—not fixed or inherently male/female.

Question 60

Origin of the State:

Answer 60

Origin of the State: Rooted in male domination.

Question 61

Role of the State:

Answer 61

Role of the State: Should aim for gender inclusiveness and social justice.

Question 62

Equality

Answer 62

Equality: Feminists want gender-neutral equality, not just for women, but for men too.

Question 63

Violence

Answer 63

Violence: Generally rejected by feminist thought.

Question 64

Relationship to Others:

Answer 64

Relationship to Others: Balance of individualism (liberal feminism) and communitarianism (radical/socialist).

Question 65

Sex

Answer 65

Sex: Biological (male, female, intersex); more than two sexes exist.

Question 66

Gender

Answer 66

Gender: Socially constructed roles (masculinity/femininity); performative and culturally reinforced.

Question 67

Sexuality

Answer 67

Sexuality: Who you are (or aren’t) attracted to.

Question 68

Doing gender

Answer 68

“Doing Gender”: Acting out gender norms through behavior and interaction (e.g., date dynamics, speech patterns).

Question 69

Cisgender vs Transgender

Answer 69

Cisgender vs Transgender: Cis = gender identity matches birth sex; Trans = it does not.

Question 70

1st Wave 1848–1918

Answer 70

Voting rights, property rights (Seneca Falls, suffrage).

Question 71

2nd Wave 1963–1980s

Answer 71

Legal equality, workplace rights, reproductive freedom.

Question 72

3rd Wave 1989–present

Answer 72

Intersectionality, diversity of voices, DIY feminism, reclaiming language.

Question 73

Liberal Feminism

Answer 73

“Add women and stir” – Integrate women into existing systems. Key figure: Mary Wollstonecraft, Betty Friedan (“The Feminine Mystique”). Focus: Equality in public sphere (work, law, politics). Use state reform for progress (e.g., Royal Commission on the Status of Women).

Question 74

Marxist Feminism

Answer 74

Root problem: Capitalism. Solution: Overthrow capitalist systems. Patriarchy worsened by capitalism. Key figure: Engels – Emancipation through shared labor production.

Question 75

Socialist Feminism

Answer 75

Combines Marxist and feminist analysis. Problem: Capitalism + Patriarchy. Key concept: Double day, feminization of poverty, reserve army of labour. Advocates for systemic change in public and private realms.

Question 76

Radical Feminism

Answer 76

Patriarchy is the root oppression. Focus: Control of women’s bodies, sexuality, and violence. Emphasize women-only spaces, challenge “master’s tools” (Audre Lorde). Gave rise to shelters, reproductive rights movements. Modern issue: TERFs – Trans-exclusionary radical feminists.

Question 77

Anti-Racist Feminism / Intersectional Feminism

Answer 77

Led by WOC, especially in 3rd wave. Recognizes interlocking systems: race, class, gender, sexuality. Key figure: bell hooks – “white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy”. Critiques other feminisms for ignoring non-white experiences.

Question 78

Patriarchy

Answer 78

Patriarchy: A system of male domination; hierarchy among men too.

Question 79

Intersectionality

Answer 79

Intersectionality: Recognizing overlapping identities and how they shape experience.

Question 80

glass ceiling

Answer 80

Glass Ceiling: Unseen barrier preventing women from advancing.

Question 81

gender roles

Answer 81

Gender Roles: Expectations placed on behavior due to assigned sex.

Question 82

Equity vs Equality:

Answer 82

Equity vs Equality: Fairness vs sameness.