This Pass or Prepared? is based on David McReynolds' Philosophy of Nonviolence.

Based on McReynold's article, answer the following questions:

1. What does McReynolds identify as the problem with Christian nonviolence?

   One Plausible Answer

   The problem that McReynolds describes with nonviolence from Christian or stoic philosophy is that while the Christian herself may choose to endure great suffering, that does not solve the dilemma of how to prevent the suffering of non-Christians who niether choose nor merit the suffering.

2. Does McReynolds equate violence with evil?

   One Plausible Answer

   Yes, McReynolds does equate violence with evil. He speaks primarily of killing, from the mass killings by Hitler to the violence of Stalin and the threat of the atom bomb.

3. Does McReynolds describe nonviolence as the philosophy with no "holes."

   One Plausible Answer

   No. McReynolds insists there is no philosophy without "holes."

4. What is a philosophy without "holes"?

   One Plausible Answer

   A philosophy without "holes" would be one of which one could be absolutely certain. McReynolds identifies one of the "holes" in Marxism: that socialism was inevitable because capitalism would collapse of its own into socialism. And he describes one of the "holes" of Buddhism, that Buddha discovered the Truth, and yet he came back to teach Buddhism.

5. What does McReynolds mean by "the search for truth as common ground"?

   One Plausible Answer

   I believe that he meant something like discourse in the phrase "the search for truth as common ground." He quotes A. J. Muste on listening with respect and good faith to even those with whom we disagree, for in such good faith listening we may discover something we had failed to notice ourselves. This is what Habermas would call the good faith hearing of all validity claims.

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   Figurine by Rudiger Appel. Notice that you can see three effects in the animation. Either the Variation on the Kandinsky figurine appears to turn in a clockwise direction, or in a counterclockwise direction, or it appears to open and close. Can you see all three effects? Try. Fascinated? Link to Appel's site and then link to the background he provides. Scroll down until you find a link to background.

Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata, June 2000. "Fair Use" encouraged.