Pacificism is the general term for ethical opposition to violence or war unless force is deemed necessary. Together with pacifism, it is born from the Western tradition or attitude that calls for peace.[citation needed] The former involves the unconditional refusal to support violence or absolute pacifism, but pacificism views the prevention of violence as its duty but recognizes the controlled use of force to achieve such objective.[1] According to Martin Ceadel, pacifism and pacificism are driven by a certain political position or ideology such as liberalism, socialism or feminism.[2]
Ceadel has categorized pacificism among positions about war and peace, ordering it among the other categories:[3]