Peace

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Gari Melchers, Mural of Peace, 1896. Peace (AHD: ps, /pis/, /pi:s/ Audio (US) (helpinfo), Symbol: ) is a term that most commonly refers to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility, but which also represents a larger concept wherein there are healthy or newly-healed interpersonal or international relationships, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political relationships and, in world matters, peacetime; a state of being absent of any war or conflict. Reflection on the nature of peace is also bound up with considerations of the causes for its absence or loss. Among these potential causes are: insecurity, social injustice, economic inequality, political and religious radicalism, and acute nationalism. From the Anglo-Norman pas , and meaning "freedom from civil disorder", the English word came into use in various personal greetings from c.1300 as a translation of the biblical terms pax (from the Vulgate) and Greek eirene, which in turn were renderings of the Hebrew shalom. Shalom, cognate with the Arabic "salaam", has multiple meanings: safety, welfare, prosperity, security, fortune, friendliness. The personalized meaning is reflected in a nonviolent lifestyle, which also describes a relationship between any people characterized by respect, justice and goodwill. This latter understanding of peace can also pertain to an individual's sense of himself or herself, as to be "at peace" with one's own mind attested in Europe from c.1200. The early English term is also used in the sense of "quiet", reflecting a calm, serene, and meditative approach to the family or group relationships that avoids quarreling and seeks tranquility an absence of disturbance or agitation.

In many languages the word for peace is also used a greeting or a farewell, for example the Hawaiian word Aloha. In English the word peace is used as a farewell, especially for the dead as in Rest In Peace, RIP.

Contents
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1 Peace and conflict studies 2 Religious beliefs and peace 3 Justice and Injustice 4 Movements and activism 5 Polar opposite 6 Institutions devoted to peace o 6.1 United Nations o 6.2 Nobel Peace Prize o 6.3 Other 7 Monuments to peace 8 Quotations 9 Understandings 10 Active Peace Theory 11 Plural peaces 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 External links

Peace and conflict studies

Detail from Peace and Prosperity (1896), Elihu Vedder, Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. Main article: Peace and conflict studies Peace and conflict studies is an academic field which identifies and analyses violent and nonviolent behaviours as well as the structural mechanisms attending social conflicts with a view towards understanding those processes which lead to a more desirable human condition. Some of the topics studied are issues related to political

violence, human security, democratisation, human rights, social justice, welfare, development, and producing sustainable forms of peace. Main article: Satyagraha Satyagraha (Sanskrit: satygraha) is a philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (also known as "Mahatma" Gandhi). Gandhi deployed satyagraha in campaigns for Indian independence and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa. Satyagraha theory also influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. during the campaigns he led during the civil rights movement in the United States. Main article: Peace war game The Peace war game is a game theory approach to peace and conflict studies. Main article: Democratic peace theory The democratic peace theory holds that democracies usually, liberal democracies never go to war with one another.

Religious beliefs and peace

See also: Peace in Islamic philosophy and Catholic peace traditions

"Justice and Peace shall kiss" depicts a biblical scene, referring to King James, Psalms#Psalm 85 Psalms 85. Buddhists believe that peace can be attained once all suffering ends. To eliminate suffering and achieve this peace, they follow a set of teachings called the Four Noble Truths a central tenet to their philosophy. Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage.

Justice and Injustice

Since classical times, it has been noted that peace has sometimes been achieved by the victor over the vanquished by the imposition of ruthless measures. In his book Agricola the Roman historian Tacitus includes eloquent and vicious polemics against the rapacity and greed of Rome. One, that Tacitus says is by the British chieftain

Calgacus, ends Auferre trucidare rapere falsis nominibus imperium, atque ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant. (To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace. Oxford Revised Translation).

Movements and activism

Main articles: Peace movement and Pacifism Peace movements are made up of socially active individuals and groups that seek to achieve ideals such as ending war and minimizing inter-human violence. Means to achieve these ends usually include advocacy of pacifism, non-violent resistance, diplomacy, boycotts, moral purchasing, supporting anti-war political candidates, demonstrations and lobbying to create or amend pro-peace legislation. Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage.

Polar opposite
Main article: War War is considered to be the exact opposite of peace. However, Just War theory is a doctrine of military ethics for what criteria a war needs to meet to be considered just.

Institutions devoted to peace

United Nations
Main article: United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achieving world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. The United Nations charters the University for Peace, but the University for Peace is not subject to UN regulation.

Nobel Peace Prize

Main article: Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually to notable peacemakers and visionaries who have overcome violence, conflict or oppression through their moral leadership, those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations". The prize has often met with controversy, as it is occasionally awarded to people who

have formerly sponsored war and violence but who have, through exceptional concessions, helped achieve peace.

Other
See also: Peace museums A peace museum is a museum that documents historical peace initiatives. Many peace museums also provide advocacy programs for nonviolent conflict resolution. This may include conflicts at the personal, regional or international level. Smaller institutions:

Randolph Bourne Institute The McGill Middle East Program of Civil Society and Peace Building International Festival of Peace Poetry

Monuments to peace

Fountain of Time honors the first 100 years of peace between the United States and Great Britain resulting from the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. Name Japanese Peace Bell Location Organization Meaning

New York City, NY, United Nations USA

World peace

Fountain of Time Chicago, IL, USA

Chicago Park District

100 years of peace between the USA and UK

Confederate Memorial[1] International Peace Garden

Arlington, Va, USA

Arlington National Southern States Cemetery choosing peace over war non-profit organization Peace between the US and Canada, World

North Dakota,Manitoba

peace

[edit] Quotations

Peace is what happens when all peoples are free to develop themselves in the way they want, without having to fight for their rights.
Bruno Picozzi[1]

There is no way to peace; peace is the way.

A. J. Muste

A peace not of consequences but an individual peace for every human being on the face of this earth. People want to stop wars, conflicts, but nobody addresses the individualfrom where peace has to begin.
P.Rawat

Understandings
This section requires expansion. Many different theories of "peace" exist in the world of peace studies, which involves the study of conflict transformation, disarmament, and cessation of violence. [2] The definition of "peace" can vary with religion, culture, or subject of study. Peace is a state of balance and understanding in yourself and between others, where respect is gained by the acceptance of differences, tolerance persists, conflicts are resolved through dialog, people's rights are respected and their voices are heard, and everyone is at their highest point of serenity without social tension.

Active Peace Theory

Borrowing from the teachings of Johan Galtung, Norwegian co-founder of the field of Peace Research, on 'Positive Peace', and on the writings of Maine Quaker Gray Cox, a consortium of researchers and disputants in the experimental John Woolman College initiative have arrived at a theory of Active Peace. This theory posits that Peace is part of a triad, which also includes justice and wholeness (or well-being), consonant with scriptural scholarly interpretations of the meaning of the early Hebrew word S-L-M or 'Shalom', called by some the Bible's word for salvation, justice, and peace. Furthermore, the consortium have integrated Galtung's teaching of the meanings of the terms peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peace building, to also fit into a triadic formulation. Vermont Quaker John V. Wilmerding, Jr., founder of John Woolman College, posits five stages of growth applicable to individuals, communities, and societies, whereby one transcends first the 'surface' awareness that most people have

of these kinds of issues, emerging successively into acquiescence, pacifism, passive resistance, active resistance, and finally into Active Peace, dedicating themselves to peacemaking, peacekeeping, and/or peace building.

Plural peaces
Following Wolfgang Dietrich, Wolfgang Stzl, and the Innsbruck School of Peace Studies, some "peace thinkers" have abandoned any single and all-encompassing definition of peace. Rather, they promote the idea of many peaces. They argue that since no singular, correct definition of peace can exist, peace should be perceived as a plurality.[2] For example, in the Great Lakes region of Africa, the word for peace is kindoki, which refers to a harmonious balance between human beings, the rest of the natural world, and the cosmos. This vision is a much broader view of peace than a mere "absence of war" or even a "presence of justice" standard.[2] These thinkers also critique the idea of peace as a hopeful or eventual end. They recognize that peace does not necessarily have to be something humans might achieve "some day." They contend that peace exists in the present, we can create and expand it in small ways in our everyday lives, and peace changes constantly. This view makes peace permeable and imperfect rather than static and utopian.[2] Such a view is influenced by postmodernism.

See also

Peace education Peace symbol Peace makers World peace Structural violence Anarchy Moral syncretism Creative Peacebuilding

Notes
1. ^ Picozzi, Bruno (2007). BIPPI independent pro-peace initiative 2. ^ a b c A Call for Many Peaces, in: Dietrich/Echavarra/Koppensteiner: Key Texts of Peace
Studies, Vienna, LIT Verlag, 2006. pages 282-305.

References
1. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr..
2. "Pennsylvania, A History of the Commonwealth," esp. pg. 109, edited by Randall M. Miller and William Pencak, The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002.

3. Peaceful Societies, Alternatives to Violence and War Short profiles on 25 peaceful

societies.

1. The Path to Peace, by Laure Paquette

External links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace

peace
Dictionary: peace (ps) Home > Library > Literature & Language > Dictionary n. 1. The absence of war or other hostilities. 2. An agreement or a treaty to end hostilities. 3. Freedom from quarrels and disagreement; harmonious relations: roommates living in peace with each other. 4. Public security and order: was arrested for disturbing the peace. 5. Inner contentment; serenity: peace of mind.

interj. Used as a greeting or farewell, and as a request for silence. idioms: at peace 1. In a state of tranquillity; serene: She is at peace with herself and her friends. 2. Free from strife: Everyone wants to live in a world at peace. keep (or hold) (one's) peace 1. To be silent. keep the peace 1. To maintain or observe law and order: officers who were sworn to keep the peace. [Middle English pes, from Old French pais, pes, from Latin px, pc-. See pax.]

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Thesaurus: peace Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Thesaurus noun 1. Lack of emotional agitation: calm, calmness, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quietude, serenity, tranquillity. See calm/agitation. 2. An absence of motion or disturbance: calm, calmness, hush, lull, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quiet, quietness, serenity, stillness, tranquillity, untroubledness. See calm/agitation.

Idioms: peace Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Idioms Idioms beginning with peace: peace and quiet In addition to the idiom beginning with peace, also see at peace; hold one's tongue (peace); keep the peace; leave someone in peace; make one's peace with; make peace.

Antonyms: peace Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Antonyms n Definition: calm, serenity Antonyms: agitation, distress, frustration, irritation, noise, upset, worry n

Definition: harmony, agreement Antonyms: agitation, conflict, disagreement, disharmony, distress, fighting, war

US Military History Companion: Peace Top Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > US Military History Companion Perhaps one of the most complex concepts in human history, peace has been used to refer to everything from absence of war to equilibrium to a utopian state of spiritual and social harmony devoid of conflict. These widely differing images are indicators of essential differences in ideology, culture, and perceptions of history. Understanding peace requires an acknowledgment of these different contexts as well as a willingness to explore those meanings with which we are less familiar.Ironically, the most familiar images of peace are perhaps the least helpful, as they consist of stereotypical assumptions that do not invite further examination of a complex phenomenon. These highly idealistic images generally depict peace either as the condition that exists when wars are suspended or terminated, or, conversely, as a harmonious world devoid of conflict. At best, such images provide faint shadows of peace rather than illuminate its essence. More often than not, they serve to lessen any interest in peace as a desirable or achievable state, either by devaluing it (a simple interlude between wars) or by ascribing unattainable, utopian preconditions to it (a world in total harmony without conflict). In the West, a common understanding of peace originates from the Latin pax, meaning a pact or settlement to deter or end hostilities. This meaning arises primarily in historical, political, and military contexts, which appear to be closely related. Given the fascination of Western historians with war, it is understandable that many continue to envision human history as a series of wars and respites from wars, and salient historical figures as warriors, military leaders, or heads of state who declare and prosecute wars against other states. Within this context, peace has come to be narrowly understood as the absence of war, the end of war, interludes between wars, or nonwar. Accordingly, in American military history, the word peace essentially means the absence of war. Thus, militaries fight wars to win the peaceto bring about periods of nonwar through the use of force. In military paradigms, peace is seen as an ultimate or ideal goal rather than a means to an end. Those engaged in such wars tend to believe theirs will be the last, that the subsequent nonwar period of peace will be enduring, or that moments of nonwar are only interludes that will ultimately give way to future wars. Related to this is what the Norwegian peace scholar Johan Galtung has termed negative peace, that is, the absence of war and direct violence. Under this kind of peace, many forms of structural violence (indirect, institutionalized violence) such as economic exploitation, racism, sexism, oppression, hunger, and poverty still exist. Such narrow notions of peace say nothing about what peace isonly what peace is not. And they describe what it is not in terms of something with which we appear to be quite familiar: violence and war. Among other conclusions, we might infer from this that our knowledge about peace is at best very limited, since we seek to define it in terms of what it is not rather than what it is.

Related to this is the idyllic image of a world without conflict, pain, suffering, and struggle. Yet at all levels of human existencefrom the interpersonal to the global peace includes, rather than precludes, conflict. Conflict is a basic fact of life; thus, a world at peace will be full of conflict. What distinguishes a peaceful world, among other qualities, is the extent to which unnecessary conflict is prevented and all other conflict is managed in nonviolent ways. This idyllic image often arises out of a fundamental confusion surrounding conflict and violence. Conflict and violence are not synonymous terms: conflict can be violent, but it also can be nonviolent; it can be destructive and painful, but it also can be constructive and useful. Clarification of these concepts allows movement beyond the normative fear of conflict and negative associations with it. The existence of conflict in the future then becomes an understandable and acceptable fact of life, and the idyllic image of peace becomes unnecessary and unrealistic. Although these shadow images of peace seem antithetical (i.e., they could be easily juxtaposed at opposite ends of a continuum depicting ideological views of peace), in fact, they have much in common with one another. Both types attempt to define peace in terms of (1) what is missing rather than what is present; and (2) one or two basic components (e.g., violence and conflict). Once outside (Western) historical, political, and military contexts, however, peace means much more than the absence of a specific phenomenon, which it is not. For many scholars in peace studies and peace research, peace is much more than notwar; it is much more than not violence; and it is never seen as notconflict. Essential Peace If, instead, we begin with equally valid definitions of paxand with pacific (from the Latin pacifico and pacificus, and the French pacifique)we see a different face of peace altogether: one involving reaching agreement by negotiation (as opposed to the use of force); mediation; reconciliation; amity; calm; tranquility; or ordereven rejecting force as a means of achieving policy objectives. Here it is important to acknowledge that peace can exist at every level of existence, from the intrapersonal (psychological, spiritual, etc.) to the global (political, sociological, environmental). Thus, generic definitions of peace become extremely problematic. Nonetheless, there is general agreement in peace research and peace studies on the broad parameters of peace. Some peace researchers approach an understanding of what peace is by identifying the conditions necessary for it to exist. The following ideological and infrastructural conditions are not exhaustive by any means, but represent what many experts believe to be essential for peace to develop in the world: the presence of cultures of peace (vs. cultures of violence); the presence of justice (economic, social, and political); the shared democratic use of power (economic, social, and political) among people who govern themselves (power with) rather than the governance of the many by the few who have power over the many; the presence of economic and ecological sustainability; the nonviolent (vs. violent) management and resolution of conflict; the development of common security that does not rely on the threat or use of violence; the pursuit of collective and individual ends through nonviolence rather than violence;

and the elimination of violence in all its myriad forms (including the war systems inherent in many nations). Each of these conditions requires a brief explanation. The presence of cultures of peace refers to the social and cultural components (values, belief systems, ideologies, philosophies, theories, societal norms, etc.) that undergird and legitimate everyday life and the infrastructures we create to carry us into the future. Wars are not fought without ideologies that tell us that it is acceptable and justifiable to conduct them. The ubiquitous violence that exists in the media, in entertainment, in our schools, in our streets, and in our homes does not exist without belief systems that legitimate and encourage it. Similarly, peaceful relationships among individuals, groups, genders, classes, nationsas well as relationships between human beings and the rest of the nonhuman worldcannot exist without cultural values and ideologies that promote nonviolence, respect, and tolerance for everyone, especially those who are somehow different from us. In a culture of peace, for example, people would not be entertained by violence (nor would they seek to be entertained by it). A fundamental ideological cornerstone of the violence surrounding us today is the idea that one's identity is primarily related to one's gender, race, national origin, political affiliation, economic status, religious ideology, or socioeconomic class. The result of this kind of identity formation is the grouping of people into us and them. Once a person or an ethnic group or a country is a them, they are less valuable, less important, and somehow less human than us. This is the first step toward dehumanizing the other, which in turn is the first step toward aggression and violence. Cultures of violence inculcate ideologies that give rise to the formation of these kinds of mutually exclusive identities. Cultures of peace, on the other hand, would embrace species identity and other inclusive forms of identifications with humanity, which Elise Boulding and Robert Jay Lifton have so eloquently examined in their research and writings. The presence of justice at all levels (economic, social, and political) refers to the ways in which individuals and groups are treated by society and one another. While justice is a highly debated term, there is little disagreement that peace can exist without it. In particular, this is true because the existence of injustice implies ongoing structural violence against certain peoples or groups. As Johan Galtung notes, the Greek eirene, the Hebrew shalom, and the Arab salam take us beyond the Roman pax to an understanding of peace that includes justice. In this view, peace is not only the absence of all violence (including underlying structures of violence) but also the presence of justice (Galtung calls this positive peace). The shared democratic use of power is relevant to all personal and social relationships, but especially to those in the arenas of governance, business, international relations, and global security. In his groundbreaking work Three Faces of Power, the American economist Kenneth Boulding identifies three basic forms of power (threat, exchange, and integrative power) and argues that integrative power is the most important of the three, as it is what gives rise to relationships of respect, love, friendship, and so on. The presence of economic and ecological sustainability is essential because economic or ecological development that is not sustainable assumes dysfunctional levels of

injustice and violence in the present moment and ultimately will lead to conflict, violence, and systemic imbalance. A peaceful world requires basic levels of security, which are ensured, in part, by stable economic systems and viable ecological relationships with the natural world. The remaining four conditions fall within the category of nonviolence. While nonviolence can refer to anything (change, transformation, revolution) that happens not to be violent (as in the case of nonprincipled nonviolence), this term is used most often in peace studies to refer to the waging of conflict and the transformation of society through the power of active love. Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolence (ahimsa and satyagraha) was the pursuit of truth through love. The strength of nonviolence emanates from an understanding of the origins of power: all power derives from the consent of the governed. The political scientist Gene Sharp carefully explains that known histories of successful nonviolent struggle and conflict resolution date back to the fifth century B.C. Peace requires the nonviolent management and resolution of conflicts for many reasons, not least of which is found in the shadow of peace, which defines peace as the absence of violence. Violence (from the Latin verb violare) means to violate. Violence can be verbal, psychological, emotional, and spiritualas well as physical. It can be collective as well as individual. As Duane Friesen makes clear, to do violence to someone is to violate the integrity of that person. Gandhi saw life as one long experiment with truth, wherein each person possesses a small piece of the truth and conflicts are the moments in which we learn from one another about our separate and collective truths. Waging conflicts violently, then, is the antithesis of being interested in the truth; it is a means to win a conflict temporarilynot to be right in the long run. For most in peace studies, violence cannot be seen as conflict resolution: it is, instead, only the violent waging of conflict for reasons that are legitimated by cultures of violence. For the same reasons that nonviolent conflict resolution is necessary, peace also requires the development of nonviolent systems of common security; the nonviolent pursuit of collective and individual ends; and, ultimately, the elimination of all forms of violence, whether direct or indirect. Thus, for example, personal growth and individual success, interpersonal relationships, social change and transformation, and the conduct of international relations will need to be reenvisioned as nonviolent means and ends rather than accepted as status quo violent means and ends. Peace Development In the languages of Western culture, peace is a noun, not a verb. It is an object, a goal, a future state of being to be passively wished for and waited upon. No one does peace. Yet peace, like war, requires intensive preparation, organization, training, and education. It also requires immense resources and commitment. Peace will not exist without being developed and built from the ground up. Peace development requires leaders: those who can envision a world without violence and design its blueprints. Peace development also requires actors who will transform the elements of nonpeace into the fabric of peace. The shadow of peace assumes that

geopolitical entities called nationstates are the fundamental units of analysis, and that the political and military leaders of these nationstates are the primary actors and leaders. The development of essential peace, on the other hand, is not limited to nationstates and their leaders. Rather, essential peace requires the effort of individuals, communities, local and regional governments, teachers, nongovernmental organizations, international nongovernmental organizations, networks, and the nontraditional loci of nonviolent power. Since essential peace can exist at all levels of existence, from the spiritual to the global, the paths to its successful development are many: there is no one right path to peace and there is no one right leader who will take us to it. This awareness allows for everyone to contribute to the building of peace in their lives and in their communities. According to many Eastern religions and philosophies, peace at all levels of existence is interconnected. Therefore, the development of peace in one arena of the world may contribute to the development of peace in many arenas of the world. [See also Pacifism; Peace and Antiwar Movements; Quakers.] Bibliography

Louis Fischer, The Life of Mahatma Gandhi, 1950. Mohandas K. Gandhi, An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, 1957. Joan V. Bondurant, Conquest of Violence: The Gandhian Philosophy of Conflict, 1958. Gene Sharp, The Politics of Nonviolent Action, 3 vols., 1973. Ira Sandperl, A Little Kinder, 1974. Kenneth Boulding, Stable Peace, 1978. James A. Schellenberg, The Science of Conflict, 1982. Duane Friesen, Christian Peacemaking and International Conflict: A Realist Pacifist Perspective, 1986. Ervin Laszlo and Jong Youl Yoo, eds., World Encyclopedia of Peace, 1986, 1989. Robert J. Lifton, The Future of Immortality and Other Essays for a Nuclear Age, 1987. Elise Boulding, Building a Global Civic Culture: Education for an Interdependent World, 1988. Sissela Bok, A Strategy for Peace, 1989. Kenneth Boulding, Three Tales of Power, 1989. David P. Barash, Introduction to Peace Studies, 1991. Michael Shuman and Julia Sweig, eds., Conditions of Peace: An Inquiry, 1991. Johan Galtung, Oxford Companion to Politics of the WSVW, 1993

US Military Dictionary: peace Top Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > US Military Dictionary

[ps] n. 1. freedom from or the cessation of war or violence: the Straits were to be open to warships in time of peace. 2. a treaty agreeing to the cessation of war between warring states: support for a negotiated peace. 3. freedom from civil disorder: police action to restore peace. keep the peace refrain or prevent others from disturbing civil order: the police must play a crucial role in keeping the peace.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Encyclopedia of Judaism: Peace Top Home > Library > Religion & Spirituality > Encyclopedia of Judaism The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is derived from a root denoting wholeness or completeness, and its frame of reference throughout Jewish literature is bound up with the notion of shelemut, perfection. In the Bible, the word shalom is most commonly used to refer to a state of affairs, one of harmony, tranquillity, and prosperity. Shalom is a blessing, a manifestation of Divine grace. Of course, it also denotes the opposite of war, for the absence of war, too, suggests an orderly and tranquil state of affairs. In rabbinic texts, shalom primarily signifies a value, an ethical category; the overcoming of strife and enmity in family, communal, and national life, and the prevention of war. It is still depicted as a manifestation of Divine grace, but in many sayings it appears in a normative context: the pursuit of peace is the obligation of the individual and the goal of various social regulations and structures. The rabbis went to great lengths in their praise of peace, to the point of viewing it as a meta-value, the summit of all other values. Peace is the ultimate purpose of the Torah, and the essence of prophecy and redemption; Shalom is the name of God, the name of Israel, and the name of the Messiah. Nevertheless, the sages discuss the relationship between peace and other values, such as justice and truth. One view is that peace, justice, and truth are fully harmonious and complementary (TJ, Ta'an. 4:2). However, there are also discussions concerning which value prevails in cases of conflict. In this context, even where peace is given priority it is viewed as an individual, partial value that must compete with other values. Thus, one may lie for the sake of peace (Yev. 65b). Furthermore, according to R. Joshua ben Korha, strict justice is incompatible with peace; a judge should therefore temper justice with peace and rule in favor of compromise (TJ, Sanh. 1:5;

TB, Sanh. 6b; the opposing view is "let justice pierce the mountain," that is, justice at all costs). The unique development of the philosophical and mystical literature in the Middle Ages is reflected in its portrayal of peace as an ontological principle. Peace was elevated to the level of the cosmic, the metaphysical, the Divine. Peace is the foundation of all being, the principle that harmonizes contending forces within each individual object and reconciles the separate elements of nature as a whole. Ultimately, peace is the embodiment of the Divine immanence in the world: "God is the ultimate form of the world, and in this He comprehends all and joins and unifies all, and this is the very essence of peace" (R. Judah Low ben Bezalel, Netivot Olam, Netiv ha-Shalom, 1). Peace and War Jewish sources, from the Bible on, acknowledge war as a given of human existence. It is a reflection of the real, yet fallen, human condition in history, as opposed to the meta-historical era of the End of Days. War reflects the actual situation of man, but not his destiny. The post-biblical discussion of this question was greatly influenced by the reality of Jewish powerlessness. Neither war nor peace really stood as concrete options for the Jewish people. Only the wars of the Gentiles belonged to historical reality; the ancient wars of Israel were a matter more for theology than for politics. The Jew waged war against the evil inclination far more than he did against any historical foe. Peace, too, was discussed primarily from a utopian perspective, in light of the prophetic vision of eternal peace. In this context, three different models of peace were put forward. According to the first model, peace will eventually be achieved by a transformation of the consciousness of the individual. Thus, Maimonides viewed intellectual perfection as the guarantor of peace. The apprehension of truth, the universal knowledge of God, will displace man's attachment to illusory goods and destructive impulses, and completely eliminate the irrational factors that cause conflicts and wars (Yad, Melakhim 12:5; Guide III, 11). According to the 11th-12th century Spanish thinker Abraham bar Hiyya, on the other hand, man's destructive impulses are to be overcome not by an intellectual change but by an emotional one, namely, by a sense of intimacy and love that will grow among men in the Messianic era, once they have all chosen to adopt the same faith and path (Hegyon ha-Nefesh, 4). According to the second view, the people of the world will be made to live in peace by being brought together under a single universal framework. Thus, David Kimhi (Commentary to Isa. 2:4; Mic. 4:3) and Isaac Arama (Akedat Yitshak, 46) portrayed the Messiah as a supreme, utopian judge who would make peace between the nations. This vision speaks not of a human society that has risen above all striving and conflict, but rather of a kind of international court whose authority and righteousness are accepted by all. Other thinkers envisioned a kind of Pax Judaica, a single, central government in Zion to which all peoples would be subject (Saadiah Gaon, Book of Doctrines and Beliefs, 8:8; Albo, Sefer ha-Ikkarim, 4:42). A third view anticipated the achievement of peace by an internal reformation of the socio-political order. In the teachings of Isaac Abravanel, war was described as a

consequence of man's historical and cultural fall, a fall that is embodied preeminently in man's technological civilization and political tradition and institutions. Ultimate redemption is destined to bring about the demise of materialistic civilization and the disappearance of political structures and boundaries (Commentary. to Gen. 3:22, 4:1, 17, 11:1 and elsewhere). In the teachings of Isaac Arama, on the other hand, peace and war are discussed in relation to the presently operative political and judicial order. The closer the laws and the political order come to satisfying the natural, universal sense of justice, the more peace will tend to overcome war (Akedat Yitshak, 46, 81, 105a). The emphasis on peace in Judaism is demonstrated by the fact that all major prayers (including the Amidah, the Kaddish, and the Grace After Meals) conclude with a prayer for peace, as does the Priestly Blessing (Num. 6:27).

Devil's Dictionary: peace Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Devil's Dictionary
A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n. In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting.

O, what's the loud uproar assailing Mine ears without cease? 'Tis the voice of the hopeful, all-hailing The horrors of peace. Ah, Peace Universal; they woo it -Would marry it, too. If only they knew how to do it 'Twere easy to do. They're working by night and by day On their problem, like moles. Have mercy, O Heaven, I pray, On their meddlesome souls! Amil Ro

Word Tutor: peace Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Spelling & Usage
IN BRIEF: Freedom

from war or fighting. Also: Calm or quiet.

World peace must develop out of inner peace. Dalai Lama Quotes About: Peace Top Home > Library > Literature & Language > Quotes About Quotes: "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." - A Course In Miracles "Harmony is one phase of the law whose spiritual expression is love." - James Allen "Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun." - Martin Amis "Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live." - Marcus Aurelius "Right human relations is the only true peace." - Alice A. Bailey "If the history of the past fifty years teaches us anything, it is that peace does not follow disarmament -- disarmament follows peace." - Bernard M. Baruch See more famous quotes about Peace http://www.answers.com/topic/peace

peace
pisShow Spelled Pronunciation [pees] interjection, verb, peaced, peacing. noun 1. Show IPA noun,

the normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.

2.

(often initial capital letter ) an agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism: the Peace of Ryswick. 3. a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations: Try to live in peace with your neighbors. 4. the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security: He was arrested for being drunk and disturbing the peace. 5. cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension. 6. freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity. 7. a state of tranquillity or serenity: May he rest in peace. 8. a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity: the peace of a mountain resort. 9. silence; stillness: The cawing of a crow broke the afternoon's peace. 10. (initial capital letter, italics ) a comedy (421 b.c.) by Aristophanes.
interjection

11. (used to express greeting or farewell or to request quietness or silence).

verb (used without object)

12. Obsolete. to be or become silent. Idioms 13. at peace, a. in a state or relationship of nonbelligerence or concord; not at war. b. untroubled; tranquil; content. c. deceased. 14. hold or keep one's peace, to refrain from or cease speaking; keep silent: He told her to hold her peace until he had finished. 15. keep the peace, to maintain order; cause to refrain from creating a disturbance: Several officers of the law were on hand to keep the peace. 16. make one's peace with, to become reconciled with: He repaired the fence he had broken and made his peace with the neighbor on whose property it stood. 17. make peace, to ask for or arrange a cessation of hostilities or antagonism. Origin: 112575; ME pes < OF, var. of pais < L pax (s. pc-); akin to PACT Related forms:
peaceless, adjective peacelessness, noun peacelike, adjective

Synonyms: 2. armistice, truce, pact, accord. 3. rapport, concord, amity. 6. calm, quiet. Antonyms: 6. insecurity, disturbance.
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Peace River

noun

a river in W Canada, flowing NE from the Rocky Mountains in E British Columbia through Alberta to the Slave River. 1050 mi. (1690 km) long.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2009. Cite This Source

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Link To peace

peace n.

(ps)

1. The absence of war or other hostilities. 2. An agreement or a treaty to end hostilities. 3. Freedom from quarrels and disagreement; harmonious relations: roommates living in peace with each other. 4. Public security and order: was arrested for disturbing the peace. 5. Inner contentment; serenity: peace of mind. interj. Used as a greeting or farewell, and as a request for silence. [Middle English pes, from Old French pais, pes, from Latin px, pc-; see pax.]
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Cite This Source

Peace

Peace\, n. [OE. pees, pais, OF. pais, paiz, pes, F. paix, L. pax, pacis, akin to pacere, paciscere, pacisci, to make an agreement, and prob. also pangere to fasten. Cf. Appease, Fair, a., Fay, v., Fang, Pacify, Pact, Pay to requite.] A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; calm; repose; specifically: (a) Exemption from, or cessation of, war with public enemies. (b) Public quiet, order, and contentment in obedience to law. (c) Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions; tranquillity of mind or conscience. (d) Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony; concord. "The eternal love and pees." --Chaucer. Note: Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in commanding silence, quiet, or order. "Peace! foolish woman." --Shak. At peace, in a state of peace. Breach of the peace. See under Breach. Justice of the peace. See under Justice. Peace of God. (Law) (a) A term used in wills, indictments, etc., as denoting a state of peace and good conduct. (b) (Theol.) The peace of heart which is the gift of God. Peace offering. (a) (Jewish Antiq.) A voluntary offering to God in token of devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion with Him. (b) A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended person. Peace officer, a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a sheriff or constable. To hold one's peace, to be silent; to refrain from speaking. To make one's peace with, to reconcile one with, to plead one's cause with, or to become reconciled with, another. "I will make your peace with him." --Shak. Peace Peace\, v. t. & i. To make or become quiet; to be silent; to stop. [R.] "Peace your tattlings." --Shak. When the thunder would not peace at my bidding. --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. Cite This Source

Spanish: paz, German: der Frieden; Friedens-, Japanese: More Translations peace 1140, "freedom from civil disorder," from Anglo-Norm. pes, from O.Fr. pais (11c., Fr. paix), from L. pacem (nom. pax) "treaty of peace, tranquility, absence of war" (cf. Prov. patz, Sp. paz, It. pace), from PIE *pak- "fasten," related to pacisci "to covenant or agree" (see pact). Replaced O.E. fri, also sibb, which also meant "happiness." Modern spelling is 1500s, reflecting vowel shift. Sense

Language Translation for : peace

in peace of mind is from c.1200. Used in various greetings from c.1300, from Biblical L. pax, Gk. eirene, which were used by translators to render Heb. shalom, properly "safety, welfare, prosperity." Sense of "quiet" is attested by 1300; meaning "absence or cessation of war or hostility" is attested from 1297. As a type of hybrid tea rose (developed 1939 in France by Francois Meilland), so called from 1944. Native American peace pipe is first recorded 1760. Peacemaker is from 1436. Phrase peace with honor first recorded 1607 (in "Coriolanus"). The Peace Corps was set up March 1, 1962. Peacenik is from 1965 (for suffix, see beatnik); an earlier equivalent was peacemonger (1808).
Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001 Douglas Harper Cite This Source

Main Entry: peace Function: noun : a state of tranquillity or quiet: as a : a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom peace> b : freedom from civil disturbance
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, 1996

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