Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of
hostility and
violence. In a
societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups.
Promotion of peace is a core tenet of many philosophies, religions, and
ideologies, many of which consider it a core tenet of their
philosophy. Some examples are,
faiths such as
Buddhism and
Islam, important figures like
Gandhi, and throughout literature like "
Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch" by Immanuel Kant, "
The Art of Peace" by
Morihei Ueshiba, or ideologies that strictly adhere to it such as
Pacifism within a
sociopolitical scope. It is a frequent subject of
symbolism and features prominently in art and other cultural traditions.
The representation of peace has taken many shapes, with a variety of symbols pertaining to it based on culture, context, and
history; each with their respective symbolism whose nature can be very complex. An example, being during
post-violence, in contexts where intense
emotions, these symbols can form to evoke unity and
cooperation, described as to fill
groups of people with
pride and connection, yet the symbolism could also possibly form to convey
oppression, hatred, or else.
[2] As such, a universal definition for peace does not concretely exist but gets expanded and defined proactively based on context and culture, in which it can serve many meanings not particularly benevolent in its symbolism.
"Psychological peace" (such as peaceful thinking and emotions) is less relatively well-defined, yet perhaps[
further explanation needed] a necessary precursor to establishing "behavioural peace". Peaceful behaviour sometimes results from a "peaceful inner disposition". It has been argued by some that inner qualities such as
tranquility,
patience,
respect,
compassion,
kindness,
self-control,
courage,
moderation,
forgiveness,
equanimity, and the ability to see the big picture can promote peace within an individual, regardless of the external circumstances of their life.
