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If one thinks of nonviolence as a way of life, then it works to the extent that one lives nonviolently and infuses everyday conduct with a nonviolent spirit...whether we act nonviolently, considerately, and respectfully of others in all that we do is within our control. Nonviolence in that sense cannot fail to work if we resolve to see that it works.

— Robert L. Holmes The Ethics of Nonviolence: Essays by Robert L. Holmes (2013)

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More quotes by Robert L. Holmes

Plausible moral theory must have at its center a concern for the lives and well-being of persons.

On War and Morality (1989)

It is presumptively wrong to do violence to innocent persons.

On War and Morality (1989)

To be a pragmatic pacifist, one need only consider that large-scale, organized, and systemic war violence is unacceptable in today's world.

Pacifism: A Philosophy of Nonviolence (2017)

We will never know whether there is a realistic moral alternative to violence unless we are willing to explore the potential of nonviolent action.

On War and Morality (1989)

A necessary condition of the justifiable pursuit of any objectives in war by any means whatever.. is that one be justified in engaging in such killing and violence in the first place.

On War and Morality (1989)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Robert L. Holmes (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.