Conflict and Defense, which was first published in 1962, presents a general theory of conflict, drawing on theoretical analyses from sociology and economics. This text by Kenneth E. Boulding, a pre-eminent economist and founder of ecological economics, examines the common processes of conflict, the roles of different participants in conflicts, and describes features which are unique to specific types of conflict. Conflict and Defense will be of interest to those who seek an improved theoretic understanding of conflict. Divided into sixteen chapters, the book offers both a general theoretic model of conflict, and analyses of the unique features which distinguish international, economic, industrial and ideological conflicts. It is clearly written and will be accessible to the well-informed reader. “The origin of this book in my own mind can be traced back to a passionate conviction of my youth that war was the major moral and intellectual problem of our age. If the years have made this conviction less passionate, they have made it no less intense. The book, therefore, is not a work of that idle curiosity which, according to Veblen, is the motivator of pure science. It is driven rather by that practical curiosity which inspires applied science. Nevertheless, it is a work of pure theory, that is, of the abstract imagination...”—Kenneth E. Boulding
The human race has often put a high value on struggle, strife, turmoil, and excitement. Peace has been regarded as a utopian, unattainable, perhaps dull ideal or as some random element over which we have no control. However, the desperate necessities of the nuclear age have forced us to take peace seriously as an object of both personal and national policy. Stable Peace attempts to answer the question, If we had a policy for peace, what would it look like? A policy for peace aims to speed up the historically slow, painful, but persistent transition from a state of continual war and turmoil to one of continual peace. In a stable peace, the war-peace system is tipped firmly toward peace and away from the cycle of folly, illusion, and ill will that leads to war. Boulding proposes a number of modest, easily attainable, eminently reasonable policies directed toward this goal. His recommendations include the removal of national boundaries from political agendas, the encouragement of reciprocal acts of good will between potential enemies, the exploration of the theory and practice of nonviolence, the development of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to promote peace, and the development of research in the whole area of peace and conflict management. Written in straightforward, lucid prose, Stable Peace will be of importance to politicians, policy makers, economists, diplomats, all concerned citizens, and all those interested in international relations and the resolution of conflict.
Defining power as the ability to get what we want, this volume identifies three major types of power: threat power; economic power; and, integrative power. It argues that threat power should not be seen as fundamental since it is not effective unless reinforced by economic and integrative power.
This volume is a sampling of quips, verses, drawings, and even the music of one of the most original and versatile minds of the twentieth century, Kenneth Boulding prominent economist, lecturer, and author. The driving force behind Kenneth Boulding's wideranging book is that he truly en joys all that he does. Indeed, his greatest accomplishment may very well be that he was a profoundly happy man. This is reflected in works that are laced with beauty, wit, and extraordinary imagery-works that are often composed and appeared in the most unexpected of places. In the midst of one of the classic textbooks of his generally staid profession, Economic Analysis, Boulding introduced the "bathtub theorem." Illustrating Economics: Beasts, Ballads and Aphorisms is a collection of similar instances and, as such, it is fun. The reader should be advised that the book contains traps. Boulding coats his ideas with sugar to please his audience as well as promote consumption. He describes peace as "a drab girl with an olive branch corsage whom no red-blooded American (or Russian) could conceivably warm up to." The reader smiles at the recognition of the truth inherent within the image and ponders the irony of why so fine a state as peace should be regarded as dull, and so ugly a condition as war should be regarded as romantic. This book is for enjoyment, but it should carry the following warning: Caution-Reading this may be stimulating to your intellect.
Originally published in 1965 and written by a noted economist and leader in the field of conflict resolution, this book traces the forces which have brought the 20th century ‘post-civilisation’ into being: the ever-increasing power of science and the scientific attitude, the global communication network, the high efficiency of industrial societies. New conditions pointed to a life of ease but also enormous problems. The book discusses how though our technical resources have become immense, social and psychological conflicts remain. The author’s training in psychology and economics combines with a deep sense of history to create a book which is as relevant now as when it was first published.
In this highly personal work, Boulding traces his lifelong search for human betterment. Believing that human betterment required certain economic changes, he studied economics as an undergraduate at Oxford. A careful examination of the American labour movement, however, convinced him that 'economics alone could not solve the problems of human betterment.' Boulding's later involvement in the study of conflict resolution and the analysis of world culture eventually led him to evolutionary theory, which has occupied much of his time and energy since the late 1960s.
As relevant today as when it was first published in 1965 by Harper and Row, this book looks at the 20th century as a critical era in the great transition from a civilized to a post-civilized society. The 20th century itself is seen as an ongoing evolutionary process. The author focuses on three "traps" which would prevent this transition from taking place: the "war trap," the "population trap," and the "entropy trap." And he outlines strategies for the 21st century for overcoming these traps.
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