--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not an absolute pacifist, because I…" description: "\"I am not an absolute pacifist, because I can't rule out the possibility that under some, carefully defined circumstances, some degree of violence may b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/howard-zinn-576_absolutes_i-am-not-an-absolute-pacifist-because-i_3148523.jpg" --- # I am not an absolute pacifist, because I can't rule out… ![“I am not an absolute pacifist, because I can't rule out the possibility that under some, carefully defined circumstances, some degree of violence may be justified, if it is focused directly at a great evil.” quote by Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/howard-zinn-576_absolutes_i-am-not-an-absolute-pacifist-because-i_3148523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/howard-zinn-576_absolutes_i-am-not-an-absolute-pacifist-because-i_3148523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/howard-zinn-576_absolutes_i-am-not-an-absolute-pacifist-because-i_3148523.jpg) > “I am not an absolute pacifist, because I can't rule out the possibility that under some, carefully defined circumstances, some degree of violence may be justified, if it is focused directly at a great evil.” [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admits that absolute pacifism is untenable, allowing for limited, targeted violence against great evil under strict conditions. **In simple terms:** Violence may be justified against great evil in rare cases. Key Takeaway Consider ethical limits of violence. Themes ethics violence pacifism morality Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political activism - self‑defense - human rights interventions Key Concepts just war theory moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - When is violence morally permissible? - What safeguards prevent misuse? A Different Perspective Risk of abuse of “great evil” justification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Pacifist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacifist/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [The convoluted wording of legalisms grew up around the necessity to hide from ourselves the violence we intend toward each other. Between depriving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-convoluted-wording-of-legalisms-grew-up-around-the-necessity-to-2/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Democracy cannot sustain itself amid a high degree of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ritter-beard/democracy-cannot-sustain-itself-amid-a-high-degree-of-violence/) [Mary Ritter Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ritter-beard/) > [No-one wants to see violence of any kind on our streets, certainly not any violence that's justified by extreme nationalist ideas or that targets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-soutphommasane/no-one-wants-to-see-violence-of-any-kind-on-our-streets-certainly-not/) [Tim Soutphommasane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-soutphommasane/) > [I think violence can never be justified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-think-violence-can-never-be-justified/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [In a world wounded by conflicts, where violence is justified in God's name, it's important to repeat that religion can never become a vehicle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/in-a-world-wounded-by-conflicts-where-violence-is-justified-in-god-s/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [In my religion I really cannot think of cases where violence is justified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/in-my-religion-i-really-cannot-think-of-cases-where-violence-is/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [I am committed to the principle that violence is never justified as a means of ameliorating a grievance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-sane/i-am-committed-to-the-principle-that-violence-is-never-justified-as-a/) [Justin Sane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-sane/) > [“The incident does not mean that most Japanese were not appalled by Aum. It does suggest that many young adults viewed their society as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/the-incident-does-not-mean-that-most-japanese-were-not-appalled-by/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) > [Feeling sympathy and searching for explanations isn't the same as believing that the violence is justified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/feeling-sympathy-and-searching-for-explanations-isn-t-the-same-as/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [The use of violence is justified only under a tyranny which makes reforms without violence impossible, and should have only one aim, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/the-use-of-violence-is-justified-only-under-a-tyranny-which-makes/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [“I am not in all cases and under all circumstances against a violent revolution. I believe with some medieval and Renaissance Christian thinkers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/i-am-not-in-all-cases-and-under-all-circumstances-against-a-violent/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [Dignity does not come from avenging insults, especially from violence that can never be justified. It comes from taking responsibility and advancing our common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/dignity-does-not-come-from-avenging-insults-especially-from-violence/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think violence can never be justified. At the same time, nobody’s culture or beliefs should be insulted, that’s not something I can accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-think-violence-can-never-be-justified-at-the-same-time-nobody-s/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I am not a terrorist, but neither am I a pacifist. I am simply a regular guy from the Palestinian street advocating only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marwan-barghouti/i-am-not-a-terrorist-but-neither-am-i-a-pacifist-i-am-simply-a/) Marwan Barghouti > [In the sixties, during the Vietnam war, when anarchists and pacifists and socialists, Democrats and Republicans, decent-hearted Americans, all recoiled with horror at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/in-the-sixties-during-the-vietnam-war-when-anarchists-and-pacifists/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) ## More by Howard Zinn > [“A black man, Benjamin Banneker, who taught himself mathematics and astronomy, predicted accurately a solar eclipse, and was appointed to plan the new city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/a-black-man-benjamin-banneker-who-taught-himself-mathematics-and/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/there-is-no-flag-large-enough-to-cover-the-shame-of-killing-innocent/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“a good education is a synthesis of book learning and involvement in social action, because each enrich the other. The accumulation of knowledge, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/a-good-education-is-a-synthesis-of-book-learning-and-involvement-in/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [The mountain of history books under which we all stand leans so heavily in the other direction-so tremblingly respectful of states and statesmen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-mountain-of-history-books-under-which-we-all-stand-leans-so/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/let-s-face-a-historical-truth-we-have-never-had-a-free-market-we-have/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [I can UNDERSTAND pessimism, but I don't BELIEVE in it. It's not simply a matter of faith, but of historical EVIDENCE. 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You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [They were not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, they were absent in the Constitution and they were invisible in the new political democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/they-were-not-mentioned-in-the-declaration-of-independence-they-were/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Sexual purity was to be the special virtue of a woman. It was assumed that men, as a matter of biological nature, would sin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/sexual-purity-was-to-be-the-special-virtue-of-a-woman-it-was-assumed/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Middle-class Americans might be invited to join a new elite by attacks against the corruption of the established rich. The New Yorker Cadwallader Colden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/middle-class-americans-might-be-invited-to-join-a-new-elite-by/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/if-those-in-charge-of-our-society-politicians-corporate-executives/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [We were not born critical of existing society. There was a moment in our lives (or a month, or a year) when certain facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/we-were-not-born-critical-of-existing-society-there-was-a-moment-in/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Behind the deceptive words designed to entice people into supporting violence -- words like democracy, freedom, self-defense, national security -- there is the reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/behind-the-deceptive-words-designed-to-entice-people-into-supporting/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“George Washington had turned down the requests of blacks, seeking freedom, to fight in the Revolutionary army. So when the British military commander in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/george-washington-had-turned-down-the-requests-of-blacks-seeking/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) [Explore all 461 Howard Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. 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