Abstract of "Complexity, Conflict Resolution, and How the Mind Works" by Jones, Wendell and Scott Hughes

Publisher Abstract

Recent scientific developments cast doubt on many of our linear, reductionist, objecitivist, and deterministic approaches to the world around us. This paper discusses evidence from cognitive psychology, linguistics, and complex dynamic systems theory that suggests that the mind is inherently embodied, that thought is mostly unconscious, and that we can have no thought or decision without emotion. The authors maintain that to resolve conflict, we must keep in mind that the reality of the conflict is being dynamically co-formed by the disputants. This will lead us to rethink many of our long-held assumptions about human community, reality, and conflict.