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UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT “PEACE” A Search for Common Ground
Author(s) -
Rinehart Milton
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
peace and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1468-0130
pISSN - 0149-0508
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0130.1995.tb00240.x
Subject(s) - common ground , clarity , premise , epistemology , sociology , peace and conflict studies , peace economics , environmental ethics , social science , philosophy , communication , biochemistry , chemistry
From the premise that how we make peace is determined by how we define peace, this article attempts to add some clarity to the conceprualizations of peace and there by to peace research and practice. It identifies two basic orientations or paradigms of peace and elements of the worldviews that underlie each paradigm, drawing on contemporary conceptualizations and on philosophical and historical works. The two paradigms are contrasted with each other, and they are viewed as locations on a continuum of peace understanding that shows a way for peace researchers, practitioners, activists, and educators to communicate about peace. This article attempts to establish some common conceptual ground to enable all those concerned about peace to work together more effectively.