________________
100
Philosophical Writings
1.2 There is a tendency to understand peace as ‘non - war' but peace is not merely that. It is much more than that. Peace can be conceived of in two ways: negative and positive. Negative peace means absence of war or absence of any organized violence amongst religions. Positive peace on the other hand is inner peace, an integration, co-operation and harmony amongst human groups.
1.3 A learned thinker and diplomat of India, Shri Karan Singh identifies five dimensions of peace which he wishes all to consider. These dimentions are (i) Peace in ourselves, (ii) Peace in the family, (iii) Peace in the society, (iv)Peace in the nation state and (v) Peace in the entire planet. He looks upon all these not so much as parallel lines but as concentric circles, the individual on the one hand and the entire plant on the other that constitute indivisible entities. He says, “The quest for world peace is now no longer merely a mystical vision or an idealist Utopia. It has become a sheer necessity for the very survival of human race".
1.4 The great epistemologist and modern philosopher Immanuel Kant has given to the states of the world the six noble principles for attaining and maintaining perpetual peace. These principles are as follows. i. “No treaty of peace shall be esteemed valid on which
is tacitly reserved matter for future war.” i. “Any state of whatever extent, shall never pass under
the dominion of another state, whether by inheritance,
exchange, purchase, or donation”, iii. “Standing armies (miles perpetuous) shall in time be
totally abolished, “National debts shall not be contracted with a view of
maintaining the interest of the state abroad”. v. “No state shall by force interfere with either the
constitution or government of another state",
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
