Introduction to Non-Violence

A systematic examination of non-violent action clarifies terms and distinguishes types of responses to conflict, comparing coercive and non-coercive tactics and surveying historical examples. It analyzes philosophical and empirical roots of methods such as strikes, boycotts, non-resistance, and satyagraha, and assesses techniques including non-cooperation, fasting, and economic pressure. Practical concerns of active goodwill and reconciliation are explored, with attention to ministering amid persecution, persuasion versus coercion, and the role of political compromise. The study concludes by weighing the limits and potentials of non-violent strategies for group conflict and social reform.