Peace Psychology: Beyond the Absence of War

Peace & Psychology
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When most people think of peace, they imagine the end of war or violence. But psychologists define peace as far more than the absence of conflict. Peace psychology explores peace as a multifaceted condition—one that includes inner harmony, social justice, and ongoing dialogue.

Absence of Violence (Negative Peace)

The most basic definition of peace is the cessation of overt hostility, war, or physical violence. Johan Galtung (1969) famously distinguished this “negative peace” from deeper forms of peace, emphasizing that simply stopping violence does not guarantee lasting harmony.

Presence of Harmony (Positive Peace)

Positive peace goes further, highlighting the active presence of social justice, equality, and cooperative relationships. It requires addressing systemic issues such as poverty and discrimination that fuel conflict (Galtung, 1996).

Internal or Inner Peace (Psychological Peace)

Peace psychology also recognizes the central role of inner peace—a personal state of calmness, serenity, and freedom from inner conflict. Research shows that inner peace is linked to character strengths such as hope, zest, and gratitude, which foster psychological wellbeing (Chérif, Niemiec, & Wood, 2022). 

A Dynamic Process

Importantly, peace is not a static end state but a dynamic process. It requires continuous effort, dialogue, nonviolent conflict resolution, and empathy. Peace psychologists emphasize that building peace is an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time achievement (Christie et al., 2008).

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2025, December 14). Peace psychology: Beyond the absence of war. Psychology Concepts and Theories. https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2025/12/peace-psychology-beyond-absence-of-war.html

Post Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. 

His website is https://suttong.com 

You can find Dr. Sutton's books on   AMAZON    and  GOOGLE. 

As an AMAZON associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.

Many publications are free to download at ResearchGate   and Academia  

Find chapters and essays on Substack. [ @GeoffreyWSutton ]

Note

For an overview of peace psychology, see the Christie and others reference (2008).

Resources

Greater Good at Berkeley: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_we_learn_from_the_worlds_most_peaceful_societies

The UN: https://www.un.org/en/actnow/ten-actions-peaceful-world

References

Chérif, L., Niemiec, R., & Wood, V. (2022). Character strengths and inner peace. International Journal of Wellbeing, 12(3), 16–34. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v12i3.219

Christie, D. J., Tint, B. S., Wagner, R. V., & Winter, D. D. (2008). Peace psychology for a peaceful world. American Psychologist, 63(6), 540–552. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.6.540

Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, peace, and peace research. Journal of Peace Research, 6(3), 167–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/002234336900600301

Galtung, J. (1996). Peace by peaceful means: Peace and conflict, development and civilization. International Peace Research Institute Oslo; Sage Publications, Inc.