The Study Of Galtung’s Peace Theory

Peace acts an essential part in the progress of the human society, thus the struggling for peace is endlessly kept on. In the recent decades, people witness the spring of Peace Studies. This is the fruit born both in the sweat of the peace makers and the people’s love toward the peace. Johan Galtung, who is generally called "Father of Peace Studies", conducts the research on Peace Studies and mounts to the peak of this field. The research on peace theories used to be a subbranch of western international relationship till his time. The issues of wars used to be the emphasized points of such a field because of the influence of the theoretical system of international relationship. In1959, Galtung founded Peace Research Institute Oslo and established the Journal of Peace Research, which marked the form of the systematical theories of Peace Studies. In his works, Galtung broadened the connotation of peace, pointing out that the peace we are struggling for should not the Negative Peace narrowly aborting the straight violence, but the Positive Peace expelling the structural violence and cultural violence which deprived the people of self-fulfillment. This concept combined the effort against the straight violence and structural and cultural violence together, concerning both the straight performance of violence and the structural elements of violence, pursuing the satisfying method to deal with it. Galtung caught the blind area of traditional international relationship research in sight, ridding the bondage of merely aiming at avoiding wars in the old eras, promoting the peace research to a level of structuralism. His research not only provides us a new perspective to analyze the current international issues but also broaden the range of the development of Peace Studies and enhances the drive of the research in this field.This thesis will put out the research on Galtung’s peace theories because of the importance of peace and Peace Studies as well as the remarkable status of Galtung in Peace Studies, hoping to master the theoretical souls in his peace research and deepen the recognition and understanding toward Peace studies. Further more, this thesis aims at providing some theoretical support to the construction of the peace theory with Chinese characteristics and Chinese peaceful development tactic. The followings are demonstrating the fundamental structure of this thesis.Introduction, a collective but brief demonstration of the whole thesis, arranges the structure of the following contents. In this part, the origin of research, a general conclusion and analysis of the current domestic and foreign research situation could be read. Besides these, the meaning and worth of the research, the structural arrangement and the methodology illumination also appear in this part.Chapter I tells the story of Galtung and introduces the cause and the background of his peace theory. His story is necessarily need to be leant when researching his peace theory and his psychological culture which comes from his special times, the geographical circumstance, his family and academic background when pursuing the origin of his peace theory.Chapter II introduces the history of Galtung’s peace theory and its progressive courses. Rome wasn’t built in a day and things are quite like Galtung’s Peace Studies. After complicated development and reform, his theory now gets perfect.Chapter III illuminates and analyzes the essential part of Galtung’s Peace Studies. The essential part of his theory gives birth to the whole system of his theory, demonstrating the key points and construction of his system. Hence the illumination and analysis of the essential part of his theory helps dig into his Peace Studies.Chapter IV is an evaluation on Galtung’s Peace Studies and highlights its remarkable features. As a relatively mature theoretical system, Galtung’s Peace Studies certainly has its theoretical features. Only the mastering of its features can introduce the connotation of his theory. What’s more, the objective evaluation on his theory helps to recognize his great contribution and value and some incomplete points in his system and the latter may guide us to a brand new way of marching on.