Conscientious Objectors and the Second World War: Moral and Religious Arguments in Support of Pacifism [Hardcover]

Cynthia Eller (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275938050 | ISBN-13: 978-0275938055 | Publication Date: October 30, 1991

Was pacifism an acceptable response to Hitler's military and moral assault? This volume analyzes the moral and religious arguments justifying an individual's opposition to war while answering this question. Drawing largely on interviews with sixty World War II conscientious objectors, including those who served in military non-combatant or civilian roles and those who were jailed as violators of the Selective Service law, this study provides an oral history of the difficulties encountered as a conscientious objector in the "Last Good War," and uses World War II as a case study for examining how people arrive at the moral decisions they act upon. Faced with the moral certainty of the Allied position in World War II, pacifism was clearly an unpopular position at that time. This work provides a thorough description of the political and social history of pacifism prior to and including World War II and describes the wide variety of theological, political, and moral beliefs on which pacifism is grounded. The discussion focuses on the factors that defining the pacifist attitude and actions, and also considers the consequences of those actions. Contrary to generally accepted views, the pacifist's concern with the future ramifications of his or her decisions is affirmed. Careful documentation and an interdisciplinary scope offer oral historians, historians of World War II, World War II conscientious objectors, pacifists, and the general public a solid and scholarly look at pacifism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Are all wars unnecessary, immoral, and unjust, or is there such a thing as a "good" war? For pacifists who refused to fight in WW II, the question of whether a Nazi victory might not have resulted in the very antithesis of a pacifist world posed a deep moral question. To understand how pacifists dealt with this moral crisis, Eller conducted interviews with WW II conscientious objectors. Unfortunately, too much time is spent on material that has been treated elsewhere: the genesis of the COs pacifism (most were religious, a minority were political or personal objectors), their experiences during the war (most did noncombat work or alternative service, a minority went to prison). Most illuminating are the last two chapters where the crucial question "what about Hitler" is finally analyzed. For some of the religious COs, God's admonition "thou shalt not kill" was reason enough to refuse combat. For the more political COs, the issues are more complex : the Allies had not done enough to stop the war, and all wars result in the death of innocents. Finally, there were those who wanted the Allies to win but could not, as individuals, participate in killing. Good for general and undergraduate readers, especially those trying to come to grips with responses to current international violence.”–Choice

About the Author

CYNTHIA ELLER teaches at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (October 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275938050
• ISBN-13: 978-0275938055
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,074,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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