Description
Book SynopsisViolence is all around us; yet, despite its widespread prevalence, we remain unclear about its causes. In this book Felicity de Zulueta - begins by defining violence as distinct from aggression, and then attempts to trace its origins, highlighting the polarization between those who believe mankind to be innately violent and those who see violence as the outcome of man''s life experiences. As a result of her investigations, the author suggests that the current high level of violence may well be linked to the effects of childhood and adult trauma which appear to be far more widespread than has hitherto been acknowledged. These findings are relevant to understanding why normal people can become violent in certain conditions.
This is a second edition and has been fully updated. A new chapter on terrorism has been added.
Trade ReviewThis second edition has been fully updated and now also contains an analysis of terrorism." (
Human Givens
Journal,) Table of ContentsAcknowledgements vii
Introduction 1
Part I Attachment Gone Wrong
1. A case of violence 11
2. The myth of original sin and the death instinct 19
3. Aggression and violence 34
4. From attunement to attachment and the trauma of loss 53
5. The psychobiological roots of violence 77
6. Secure and insecure attachments in the formation of the self 91
7. Self and other 114
8. In defence of the self 137
Part II The Psychobiology Of Trauma
9. The unspeakable: child sexual abuse 161
10. Psychological trauma and attachment 185
11. From psychological trauma to violence and psychiatric illness 211
Part III The Prevalence Of Psychological Trauma
12. Cultures and violence 237
13. The dehumanisation of the ‘other’ 264
14. The traumatic origins of legitimate violence 293
15. Love and hate 322
Epilogue: And what about terrorism? 346
References 371
Index 395
