A Critical Appraisal of Liberal Peace Theory from Buddhist Philosophy A path towards a more humane and just peace

Abstract

A critical appraisal of the liberal peace thesis is founded upon the contributions of global justice to a liberal system of democracy, human rights, and regulated capitalist economy with a critique and suggestion from a Buddhist philosophical perspective to build a holistic peace thesis that can meet the challenges of a multipolar world and one that is increasingly technologically complex. While liberal peace is socio-political and economically oriented, Buddhist philosophy stresses human inner peace and then external peace and justice, acknowledging an interdependent or interconnected relationship between inner peace and socio-political and economic aspects of peace and justice. Thereby, Buddhist philosophy questions the a priori assumptions of individualism and it follows that there is a critique of Western-oriented liberal democracy, human rights, and capitalistic economy. Through the critical appraisal, this research suggests a holistic peace that integrates inner peace, human rights principles, deliberative democracy and a sustainable economic vision that seeks to achieve human development beyond mere material profit and reductionistic quantification and instrumentalization of humans and nature. The research also extends its peace analysis to critique of the existing confrontational and asymmetric global politics and the necessity for the practice of self-consciousness, and self-critique, for a transformation of aspects of the West in terms of its epistemological, cognitive, and behavioral terms. We also suggest an Earth-centric model of peace and justice, rather than hemispheric. Given its tremendous power and leading influence, it is likely not easy for the West to accommodate a Buddhist philosophical approach, or intercultural philosophy, to peace in order to develop self-critical and transformative attitudes and abilities, however, mutual learning between the West and East empowers the West to expand the purview of peace and sharpen its openness to diversity, which would create a way for a more equitable and harmonious world.