Engaged Buddhism: An Ethics of Nonviolence for Online Feminism
摘要
Fourth-wave feminism, also known as online activism, continues the struggle of the earlier waves of feminism through social media movements. Fourth-wave feminists fight for social justice and seek to end the sexist oppression of women through online platforms. These activist efforts, however, have had their share of criticisms and controversies. Some have been branded as shallow, apolitical, and mere distractions from the real issues. Current feminist endeavors have also been accused of being sites for vengeance and violence. Rather than making lasting positive changes in the social order, some online activist efforts simply breed more violence. To address these criticisms, I advocate for an ethical framework of nonviolence based on Engaged Buddhism. I look at the core values of Engaged Buddhism, such as loving compassion and kindness, and show the potential of a collective, self-reflective, self-interrogative, healing, and nonviolent means to achieve feminist objectives in online platforms.