War and Collective Behavior
Subtitle: An Essay on Psychological and Social Reality
By: Leposava Kron
Edition: First
Publisher: Institute of Criminological & Sociological Research
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Belgrade, Serbia
Language: eng
Format: B5
ISBN-13: 9788783287284
First sentence: Fateful events in the territory of former Yugoslavia during the last decade of the 20th century (war in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, war for Kosovo and NATO bombing) have contributed to the growing awareness about the need to understand a complex problem of the taboo of murder and its relativizations in the conditions of war and tyrannies.
Notes: Accumulated knowledge from historical, anthropological and convergent disciplines suggests a conclusion that most wars in history, in all likelihood, could not be avoided. The answer to an imaginary opponent who may in no way agree with this could be a nicely formulated Proust’s position that every idea is easy, unless reality is taken into account. The circumstances of the American tragedy in September Anno Domini MMI indicate that a new war was ad portas. And, of course, a new damnatio in bellum position for many people. And new suffering of the innocent which is contrary not only to the laws and good customs but also to existential and moral interests of the mankind. Freud-Einstein’s question "Why War" has again become dramatically topical.
The key psychological (humanistic) question that could be raised in connection with the discussed topic would be: are preventive measures for the protection of the population’s mental health possible, and if so, what would they consist of? The answer is complicate; let us leave it to the future researchers of this problem, if there should be any.