Vamık Volkan

Violence is omnipresent, as a look at the entire history of mankind shows. But how do wars and conflicts arise? Where does the human propensity for violence come from? Vamık Volkan examines the psychological processes that lead individuals and large groups to create enemies. He shows what influence historical traumas have on the dynamics of groups and what role psychological boundaries play in the formation of identity and the fueling of aggression.

Prof. Dr. Vamık Volkan is an American psychoanalyst of Turkish Cypriot background who is internationally known for his pioneering work in peace and conflict research and his ability to mediate and pacify group conflicts. He is President Emeritus of the International Dialogue Initiative (IDI) and Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia.

Vamık Volkan will be connected online for the lecture.

Language: English

In cooperation with the DFG Research Training Group “Ambivalent Enmity” of the Institute for Psychological Prevention at Heidelberg University