4 ms·

What are some examples of non-militant societies?

• lenkite 4y ago
  Buddhist society was quite non-violent. So were the Jains in India. (Unsure why I am being downvoted though). Both were based on strictly following Ahimsa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahimsa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahimsa
  • Der_Einzige 4y ago
    I'm so glad you bring this up. Folks in the west just assume that large scale non violent societies are not possible. They're definitely possible and are inevitably ruined decades or centuries later by warlike invaders. Jainism in particular should be given a massive shout-out for being the largest and oldest organized genuine religion of non violence. These are the people who are unhappy about washing dishes as killing the bacteria left of the plate is "kitchen violence".
    • mcguire 4y ago
      At the risk of calling for a no-true-Scotsman response, I do not know very much about Jainism, but a quick perusal does not leave me with the impression that its adherents are much less violent when they are in charge. "His expansion of the kingdom, especially his annexation of the kingdom of Anga to the east, is considered to have laid the foundations for the later expansion of the Mauryan Empire." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbisara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbisara) "He forcefully took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father and imprisoned him. He fought a war against the Vajjika League, led by the Licchavis, and conquered the republic of Vaishali." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajatashatru https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajatashatru)
      • naniwaduni 4y ago
        Nonviolence and being in charge don't really get along all that well...
  • selimthegrim 4y ago
    I am pretty sure Dzungar and Tibetans had violent empires, to say nothing of Burmese and Thai…