Gene Sharp: The "Clausewitz of Nonviolent Warfare".

• Author: Ammons, Joshua
• Position: Obituary

Gene Sharp, a political scientist best known for his work on nonviolent action, passed away at the age of ninety on January 28, 2018. Sharp leaves a lasting impact on academia, practitioners of nonviolent action, and societies who have used his methods to create political and social change. Sharp developed a comprehensive theory of nonviolent action and provided practical guidelines for its implementation. At various times throughout his career, he was referred to as the "Clausewitz of nonviolent warfare," "the Machiavelli of nonviolence," "the dictator slayer," and "a dictator's worst nightmare." Despite his contribution to the scholarship on nonviolence and his influence on political events around the world, Sharp remains unknown to many. In this paper, we provide a brief biography of Sharp, review the key themes in his research program, and discuss the continuing importance of his work for those concerned with the establishment and maintenance of free societies.

A Brief Biography

Gene Sharp was born on January 21, 1928, in North Baltimore, Ohio, to Reverend Paul Sharp and Eva Sharp, a primary-education teacher. After receiving a bachelor of arts degree in social sciences in 1949, Sharp continued his education at Ohio State University, earning a master of arts degree in sociology in 1951. His thesis, "Nonviolence: A Sociological Study," foreshadowed the research he would pursue for the rest Of his career. From 1958 to 1960, he continued to research the nuances of nonviolence, supported by a stipend from the Institute for Social Research in Oslo. Sharp worked with Arne Niess, a philosopher who shared Sharp's interest in Mahatma Gandhi, at the Institute of Philosophy and the History of Ideas at the University of Oslo during 1964 and 1965. This research culminated in a doctor of philosophy degree in political theory from Oxford University in 1968. Later in his career, Sharp received two honorary degrees: doctor of laws from Manhattan College in 1983 and doctor of humanitarian service from Rivier College in 1996.

Sharp was a tenured professor at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (known as Southeastern Massachusetts University until 1991) from 1972 to 1986, holding appointments in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. In addition, he held research appointments at Harvard University from 1965 through 1997 at the Center for International Affairs. In 1983, Sharp founded the Albert Einstein Institution in Boston. Sharp and Einstein had corresponded through letters when Sharp was arrested and imprisoned for nine months in 1953 as a conscientious objector to the U.S. government's draft during the Korean War. Einstein would later write the introduction to Sharp's first book (Sharp 1960). The Albert Einstein Institution continues to operate with the goal of advancing Sharp's work on nonviolence.

Research Program on Nonviolent Action

Exploring the various aspects and methods of nonviolence motivated Sharp's scholarship throughout his career. His early work focused on Mahatma Gandhi, a key influence on his thinking regarding nonviolence. Sharp's first book, Gandhi Wields the Weapon of Moral Power (1960), provides an overview of Gandhi's philosophy and three historical case studies of how Gandhi used his philosophy to bring about justice and peace. A year later Sharp published Gandhi Faces the Storm (1961). This short book focuses on the last two years of Gandhi's life and his reflections on what worked and what failed in his effort to foster justice. Almost two decades later, in 1979, Sharp would publish a third book on Gandhi, Gandhi as a Political Strategist. This volume explores the political strategies Gandhi used, including nonviolence, and their continuing relevance outside of India.

Sharp is best known for his three-part work The Politics of Nonviolent Action (1973), which is a revised version of his doctoral thesis. The final year of revising the manuscript took place at Harvard University's Center for International Affairs at the invitation of economist Thomas Schelling, a future Nobel Laureate. Schelling wrote the introduction to The Politics of Nonviolent Action, noting that "[w]hat Gene Sharp's book does at every step is to relate the methods of nonviolent action, and the organizational requirements, the logistics and the leadership and the discipline, the recruitment of members and the choice of targets, to political purpose" (Schelling 1973, xxi).

Part one, Power and...