Definitions of peace - with a broader view
To define peace in a meaningful way, we need to define it in terms of everything that is present, felt and appreciated, and not just in terms of what is absent. But peace encompasses far more than what is present: it is a dynamic of convergence, i.e. a human dynamic of creative interactions aimed at convergence.
Definitions of peace
Peace is an unceasing dynamic of mutually positive interactions, enabling people to achieve lasting harmony together. It is based on the continuous search for convergence, over and above differences of opinion.
Peace is not the absence of war. It's war that is the absence of peace.
Peace is the art of preventing, calming and overcoming conflict through proactive initiatives, replacing violence with dialogue and transforming the violence of others with peace reflexes.
Peace is the constant effort to reach a state of harmony with others, with nature, and with oneself.
Peace can be innate, or it can be cultivated by willpower and a process of emotional release.
Author: Delia Mamon, Graines de Paix
Definitions of peace by other authors
Peace is the unity of plurality.
Emmanuel Levinas
Peace is not something that descends from the sky, it's a reality we "work" towards. It's an existential state, a vision of the world, a way of being.
Cheikh Khaled Bentounès
Peace is not the absence of war, it's a virtue, a state of mind, a will to care, trust and be just.
Baruch Spinoza
Peace is not simply the absence of violence. It's about cultivating understanding, insight and compassion, combined with just action. Peace is the practice of deep vision, of constant attention to our thoughts, our actions and their consequences.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace consists in creating bonds, taming all foxes by establishing values, without which there can be no peace, even in the absence of conflict.
Nicole Werly
Peace is not just the absence of war or conflict, it is also harmony and solutions for happiness in the face of difficulties.
Christophe Barbey
Peace is both atavistic and historical, a natural instinct and a human construct. There is no life without peace.
Christophe Barbey
You'll find these and many other definitions of peace in the Quotes, Aphorisms et Authors sections of this website.
