Nationalism, Ethnocentrism, and the New World Order

Abstract

In the aftermath of the collapse of Soviet Communism and the Gulf War, this article takes stock of what psychology might contribute to understanding events that we did not expect. The disturbing news is the persistent vitality of ethnocentrism-also known as nationalism and tribalism. Against the background of the World War II "Psychologists' Manifesto" and the 1986 "Seville Statement on Violence," the article suggests a partly evolutionary, partly humanistic interpretation, and draws on William James's "Moral Equivalent for War" in considering implications for social policy.