Psychoanalytic Thoughts on International Affairs

Agrafa, II 3/2014  (str. 9-28)

AUTOR(I) / AUTHOR(S): Vamık Volkan

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/Agrafa3.009V

SAŽETAK / ABSTRACT:

I observed that large-group identity, an abstract concept, lies under the real-world economic, legal, and military issues in international relations and it raises substantial barriers to make peace between former enemies. One can find many writings in the literature of history, political science, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy that define tribal, ethnic, national, or political large groups. However, a description of a large groupχs title changes in scope and substance according to the discipline by which it is studied. In this paper I use the term τlarge group” to refer to tens of thousands or millions of people, most of whom will never know or see each other, and who share a feeling of sameness, a large-group identity. A large-group identity is the end-result of myths and realities of common beginnings, historical continuities, geographical realities, and other shared linguistic, societal, religious, cultural and political factors. In our daily lives we articulate such identities in terms of commonality such as τwe are Apaches; we are Lithuanian Jews, we are Serbian; we are Sunni Muslims; we are communist.” This paper examines some aspects of large-group identity and illustrates the necessity to expand psychoanalytic large-group psychology in order to give psychoanalysts a voice in international relations.

KLJUČNE REČI / KEYWORDS:

individual identity, large group identity, large-group psychology, psychopolitic, international affairs, permanent externalizations, chosen trauma, entitlement ideologies.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / PROJEKAT:

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