The Psychology of World Tension
| Author | John A. Irving |
| Published date | 01 September 1951 |
| Date | 01 September 1951 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/002070205100600308 |
| Subject Matter | Special Book Review |
SPECIAL
BOOK
REVIEWS
The Psychology
of
World
Tension"
Canadians
have been
made
familiar
with
the
responsibility
of
psycho-
logy
and
psychiatry
for
peace chiefly
through
the
brilliant
and provoca-
tive addresses
of
Major-General
G.
Brock
Chisholm,
formerly federal
Deputy-Minister
of
Health
and
now
Director-General
of
the United
Nations'
World
Health
Organization.
While
Dr.
Chisholm's
approach
is
characterized
by
a
somewhat
uncritical
acceptance of
the
frustration-
aggression
hypothesis
of
the
psychoanalysts
and
a
certain
disregard
of
socio-economic
considerations,
there
can
be
no
doubt
that
he
has
made
an
invaluable
contribution
in
directing
attention
to
the
psychiatrical
aspects
of
man's
drives
toward
war.
It
is
unfortunate
that
the
limita-
tions
of
his approach
should
have,
in
the main,
deterred
our
psycholo-
gists,
social
scientists,
and
social
philosophers from
a
just
appreciation
of
the
merits
of
his
contribution.
Unquestionably, Canadian
social
scientists
would
have
responded much more vigorously
to
Dr.
Chisholm's
challenge
had
he
presented it
primarily
in
terms
of
the
concepts
used
in
the
study
of
social
behaviour
rather
than
in
terms
of
the more
restricted,
if
more
fundamental,
concepts
of
psychiatry.
Even
the
effort
to
relate the methods
and
content
of
research
in
social
behaviour
to
the
study
of
international
affairs
is
comparatively
recent.
Until
a
decade
ago
problems
of
international
relations
were
discussed,
above
the
merely
journalistic
level,
almost
entirely
by
historians,
lawyers,
and
diplomats.
During
World
War
II
it
became
necessary
for
various
countries,
particularly
the
United States, to
enlist
the
services
of
anthropologists and
other
area
specialists.
Although
the
practical
utility
of
psychological
and
sociological
knowledge
quickly
became
apparent,
social
scientists,
once
the
war
was
over,
were
naturally
reluctant
to
continue research
on
the
difficult
problem
of
the
bearing
of
social
behaviour
on
international
relations.
Fortunately,
UNESCO
decided,
in
1947,
that
one
of
its
main
tasks
during
the
following
years
should
be
research
on
international
tensions.
This
decision
has
borne
fruit
in
two
excellent
books,
the first
edited
by
Dr.
Hadley Cantril
and
entitled
Tensions
that
Cause
Wars,
the
second
by
Dr.
Otto
Klineberg
(a former
Canadian)
and
entitled
Tensions
Affecting
International
Understanding.
More recently
Dr.
George
W.
Kisker
has
published
a
third
volume
concerned
with the
same
general
theme.
The
three
books,
though
all
edited
or
written
by
psychologists,
do
*World Tension--The
Psychopathology
of
International
Relations.
Edited
by
George
W.
Kisker.
1951.
(New
York:
Prentice-Hall.
Toronto:
McLeod.
324
pp.
$6.75,
members
$5.40.)
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