LAUSR

There is no question that pacifism is largely ignored in IR. An important consequence of this is that normative theorising is more often than not limited to considerations of when to employ violence in response to threats and conflicts. This article aims to critically engage with some of the ways in which pacifist theory is neglected and dismissed in IR normative theorising, assess some of the consequences of excluding pacifist perspectives, and gesture towards the ways in which pacifist theory might help to expand the ethical horizons of debate over how to respond to violent threats. The article argues that taking pacifism seriously could help to expand the ethical imagination and range of policy options in considerations about civilian protection, among others. Investing in the exploration of pacifist approaches has the potential to go beyond short-term protection measures in violent conflicts, taking us instead towards the goal of breaking the long-term cycles of violence which perpetuate vulnerability in the first instance.