The New Conscientious Objection: From Sacred to Secular Resistance

by Charles C. Moskos (Editor), John Whiteclay Chambers II (Editor)

Overview

Although conscientious objection is a long-standing phenomenon, it has only recently become a major factor affecting armed forces and society. The only comprehensive, comparative scholarly study of conscientious objection to military service, this book examines the history of the practice in the Western world and state policies that have grown up in response to it. It shows how the contemporary refusal to bear arms is likely to be secular and widespread rather than religious and marginal, now including service people (as seen in the 1991 War in the Persian Gulf) as well as conscription resisters. No account of civil-military relations or peace movements in advanced industrial countries is complete without reference to conscientious objection, and this book will be the standard text on the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195359930
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/08/1993
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Northwestern University

Rutgers University

Table of Contents

PART I: INTRODUCTION: THE SECULARIZATION OF CONSCIENCE1. The Secularization of ConsciencePART II: THE UNITED STATES2. The United States: COs and the State, from Colonial Times to the Present3. The Dilemma of Conscientious Objection for Afro-Americans4. Alternative Service in a Future DraftPART III: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES5. Britain: From Individual Conscience to Social Movement6. France: A Statute but no Objectors7. Federal Republic of Germany: Conscientious Objection as Social Welfare8. Denmark: The Vanguard of Conscientious Objection9. Norway: Toward Full Freedom Of Choice10. South Africa: From Laager to Anti-Apartheid11. Switzerland: Questioning the Citizen Soldier12. Israel: Conscientious Objection in a Democracy Under Seige13. Socialist Countries: The Old Orders Crumble14. Democratic Republic of Germany: Dissedence that PrevailedPART IV: CONCLUSION: THE SECULARIZATION OF CONSCIENCE RECONSIDERED15. The Legal Aspects of Conscientious Objection: A Comparative Analysis16. ConclusionIndex

Editorial Reviews

"It combines scrupulous scholarly detail with a degree of sophistication in analysis and general conceptualization not equaled elsewhere in the literature....The editors have compiled a highly useful reference source for scholars and activists, and on that basis alone have produced a work worthy of inclusion in any private or institutional library....The book's quality and usefulness are beyond question."—Peace & Change

"A first-rate review of the current status of conscientious objection in the industrialized world, including excellent historical reviews of the evolution of the religious and philosophical bases behind the idea of conscientious objection....It will be an asset to all scholars, analysts, and policymakers who deal with the recruiting and maintaining of armed forcces, both in the United States and elsewhere."—Journal of Military History

"This is a fascinating exploration of the origins, nature, and significance of modern conscientious objection. Those of us who deal with conscientious objectors every day can confirm the authors' thesis that today's conscientious objection is more secular than religious, that it is widespread rather than marginal, and that principled refusal to bear arms can affect political and social events. This book will be an essential part of the library of anyone who wants to understand conscientious objection."—Robert A. Seeley, Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors

"This book makes a serious contribution to the study of military institutions."—Contemporary Sociology

"The shift in the concept of citizenship from that of citizen soldier bearing arms to defend the state to that of the citizen server making the state and the world of which it is a part a more secure home for all peoples, is one of the least noticed but possibly most important developments of this century and the next. The Moskos-Chambers book is a remarkable documentation of this silent transformation and the role of conscientious objection in it. This is a "must read" for strategic thinkers, peace researchers, policy planners and activists."—Elise Boulding, Dartmouth College

From the Publisher