Comparing Galtung’s Theory of conflict resolution with Freud’s Psychoanalytical Theory

Abstract

Galtung's definition of an A-B-C conflict is entirely general. In particular, it applies to the inner conflicts treated by Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Galtung’s A-B-C is then applied to both Patient and Analyst during the interaction of analysis’ sessions; in which these two triads actually fuse into a single triad so that they represent a single personality elaborating through the analysis his internal conflict. In addition, Freud’s short paper on the beginning of the psychoanalytic treatment leading to solve the conflict, is interpreted in a rigorous logical way which attributes a great importance to the doubly negated propositions for starting Analyst’s healing process. The propositions of this kind occur within many other theories as a characteristic feature of a theoretical organization which is aimed at solving, like Freud’s theory, a given problem and hence it is alternative to the usual deductive-axiomatic one. The development of this theoretical organization is composed by four steps converging to the resolution of the problem at issue. The non-mechanical nature of the last step is illustrated and it is limited to a realistic attitude by means of two constraints. By recognizing both the four steps and the two constraints within Freud's theory, the entire dynamics of the inner conflict resolution emerges. These four steps are then attributed to the dynamics of conflict resolution in general.