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Writing a love letter to your (perceived) enemy: Thích Nhất Hạnh and the rhetoric of nonviolence
L’écriture d’une lettre d’amour à votre ennemi (perçu): Thích Nhất Hạnh et la rhétorique de la non-violence
[journal article]
Abstract Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist Thích Nhất Hạnh has been a leading figure in the promotion of nonviolent practice throughout the world. We examine his concept of engaged Buddhism, theories of nonviolence, and intersections with rhetorical and communication studies. His approach takes non... view more
Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist Thích Nhất Hạnh has been a leading figure in the promotion of nonviolent practice throughout the world. We examine his concept of engaged Buddhism, theories of nonviolence, and intersections with rhetorical and communication studies. His approach takes nonviolence beyond the realm of refusing to use physical violence to the recognition that language itself can be violent. In order to understand this approach we detail the concepts of interbeing, loving speech, and deep listening. We examine the role of love in Nhất Hạnh’s theory of nonviolence, comparing it with approaches taken by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Examples are given from many of Nhất Hạnh’s speeches and writings with particular attention paid to a love letter he wrote to US President George W. Bush during the Iraq War. Thích Nhất Hạnh offers the practice of writing a love letter to one’s perceived enemy as a means to persuade for a turn to nonviolence.... view less
Keywords
cognitive factors; Vietnam; non-violence; non-aggression; conflict theory; rhetoric; peace; Buddhism
Classification
Interpersonal Communication
Free Keywords
Thích Nhất Hạnh; Mahatma Gandhi; Martin Luther King Jr.; Gandhi, Mahatma ; Luther King Jr., Martin
Document language
English
Publication Year
2017
Page/Pages
p. 73-90
Journal
ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies, 10 (2017) 1
ISSN
1775-352X
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed