The Root of Conflict

^* John Milton in Paradise Lost, Book 1 : 34.

The infernal Serpent^* coiled ’round the soul of man, strangles the love and understanding imbued by the Creator supplanting it with hatred and distrust.

Initially, tribalism arose, the forbearer of all social organization. However, tribalism in all its subsequent forms is not the problem. For this social organization is but a further development of the natural family into the extended family. Nay, the problem arises from the development of a belief that distinguishes one tribal group from another. Racism, a belief that physical characteristics, in some way, signify a hierarchy of men and the belief that the tribal group to which each individual is a member lies at the top of that hierarchy.

Then there is truth, not the truth based upon a man’s experience, but The Truth, the truth of the tribe, that becomes the only truth, and all others are false. Once found, it is nearly impossible to reconcile the newly found Truth with other existent truths.

Thus groups develop primarily based upon differences in physical characteristics, intellectually and emotionally supported by that group’s Truth, and each group perceives itself to be superior to other groups. However, in order to maintain the perception of superiority, other groups must be subjugated.

Hence, to maintain the perception of the superiority of a group’s Truth and to sustain the belief in the veracity of that Truth, hatred and distrust between groups arise as it is not possible to have two (or more) Truths, where each Truth, and therefore each group, is superior to all others.

When two or more groups know that each of their Truths is superior to all other truths and that each group is superior to all other groups, hatred and distrust of other groups arise. The result is that other groups must be subjugated to prove or at least demonstrate the veracity and power of one group’s Truth.

Conflict