The Case for Pacifism

ABSTRACT I present the case for pacifism by formulating what I take to be the most plausible version of the idea of respect for human life. This generates a very strong, though not necessarily absolute, moral presumption against killing, in war or any other situation. I then show how difficult it is for this presumption to be overridden, either by the considerations invoked in 'just war'theory, or by consequentialist claims about what can be achieved through war.
Despite the strength of the moral case against war, people sometimes say that they have no choice but to fight. In the concluding section of the paper I attempt to identify the relevant sense in which this could be said, and I discuss briefly how this affects the case for pacifism.     

SOME EXPLORATIONS IN INITIAL INTERACTION AND BEYOND: TOWARD A DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

This paper provides a theoretical perspective for dealing with the initial entry stage of interpersonal interaction. The seven axioms and 21 theorems presented suggest a set of research priorities for studying the development of interpersonal relationships. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the problems to be considered if the theory is to be extended beyond the initial stages of interaction.     

THE INFLUENCE OF VERBAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND VERBAL ORGANIZING SKILLS ON SELECT MEASURES OF LEARNING

This study investigated the influence of verbal organizational structure and verbal organizing skills on recall of facts, ability to pattern, and ability to problem-solve. One hundred and fifty-nine college students, classified as high or low in ability to organize verbal material, heard recorded communications that consisted of either high-structure-sequence or low-structure-sequence messages. The results indicated that level of message structure and organizing skills were conjunctively related to the learning variables, with structure apparently accounting for more of the variance than organizing skills.