Conflict is herein defined as a struggle or contest between individuals or parties for power, that is, for control and say so.
Violence is herein defined as cruelty that does physical damage to another person or to property. Violence always involves conflict but not all conflict involves violence.
Nothing in the near future promises hope of removing human conflict. As long as humans are human and resources are limited, there will be conflict of some degree. Moreover, conflict is not, of itself, a misfortune. Conflict is the grist that mills the human story. Our rational life is the on-going drama of how we resolve conflict, that is, solve problems. Disaster comes from failure to adequately resolve conflict.
Although conflict is inherent in our human conditions, we can hope to reduce violence.
Violence always involves conflict, but not all conflict involves violence.
To achieve minimal peace we must prevent war.
War is an extreme use of violence to resolve human conflict.
There can be no war or violence without conflict but not all conflict leads to war and violence.
We can find ways of ameliorating the intensity and calamitous reaction to conflict or we can eliminate conflict or we can change human nature.
We can't change human nature.
We can't eliminate conflict.
Therefore, to stop war we must find ways of ameliorating the intensity and calamitous reaction to conflict.
There are only two ways to ameliorate extreme reaction to conflict: one is by mental and/or physical coercion and the other by persuasion.
Mental and physical force tends to backfire.
Therefore the only practical way to ameliorate extreme reaction to conflict and bring a workable peace to the world is through dialogue.
Not all talking (dialogue) is successful.
Dialogue only works to ameliorate violent reaction to conflict when those involved follow the rules of right reason to a significant degree and choose to make negotiation work.
The rules of right reason are the rules of common unbiased logic -- the kind of logic humans intuitively recognize as valid when educated in rational honesty. The rules of right reason are the requirements of sound rational thinking. The rules of right reason are the basis of common unbiased logic.
Therefore, if we are to have peace in the world we need a world-wide involvement to honestly encourage people to use and have confidence in their own ability to use right reason. We usually call it commonsense.
Leadership & Common Unbiased Logic
We in the U.S. are in a unique position to be pacesetters in advancing our abilites to progress in peace. Most of our leaders appreciate this role and we do make progress. However, it is obvious we do not accomplish what we should be able to do. We could rise to a totally new and constructive position of leadership if we would use our commonsense rational talents more and correct some of philosophical mistakes that stand in the way of promoting high quality negotiation and civil discourse. To consciously use said talents and correct said mistakes we have to recognize they are there.
Many basic logical mistakes appear trivial and the general temptation is to toss them aside with impatience. However, if we leave trivialities unattended they add up and become major difficulties.
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© Virginia Vallee