Unconscious forces shaping international conflicts: archetypal defenses of the group spirit from revolutionary america to confrontation in the middle east

Abstract

This paper explores a primitive psychological structure of the collective psyche that is activated by acute and chronic threat to the basic security and spirit of the group. It is argued that archetypal defenses of the group spirit are universal and can be observed in ethnic groups, racial groups, gender groups, religious groups, national groups and professional groups. Several examples are explored to demonstrate how archetypal defenses of the group spirit express themselves in conflicts between groups. In the cultural and political life of groups, flags, operas, movies, speeches and the concrete development of weapon systems all exemplify the archetypal defenses of the group spirit.