Professor Scott Atran, a faculty member at the University of Michigan, stated that if trust can be established between Israel and Palestine, 'a two-state solution is a matter both populations consider,' adding, 'Both populations actually want a lasting peace, but the important question here is how trust will be established? Building trust is very difficult, and once established, it's very easy to destroy. Sometimes even a single incident can cause all trust to collapse.'
Professor Scott Atran, a faculty member at the University of Michigan, addressed the current state of the world from a psychological and evolutionary perspective at the 'World in Crisis: Geopolitical Risks and Opportunities' political psychology seminar held at Üsküdar Üniversitesi.
Atran: “After establishing its dominance in this world, humanity lived by preying on its own kind”
“I will try to explain how the world reached this point, its psychological and evolutionary sub-dimension,” said Prof. Scott Atran, referring to Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan's emphasis on 'the importance of establishing mutual trust for peace in the world.' He continued, “However, in recent centuries, humanity has been accepted as the most predatory mammal in the world. After establishing its dominance in this world, humanity lived by preying on its own kind more than any other mammal. We did not easily arrive at a world where slavery, torture, and oppression are no longer tolerated.”
Reminding that the world currently operates under a 'nation-state' order, Prof. Scott Atran explained that these countries have anthems and flags, ask their citizens to make sacrifices, and are established as something more sacred than all human relations, even family.
Atran: “They have nuclear weapons that could destroy the world several times over”
“In other words, in a nation-state, you are expected to sacrifice even your own flesh and blood,” Prof. Scott Atran continued, noting that the world is under a serious threat of nuclear war, but societies are not discussing it.
Prof. Scott Atran, stating that the world is unaware of the danger posed by nuclear weapons and that half of the world could die within half an hour, said, “If we consider the nuclear weapons of the US and Russia, they have nuclear weapons that could destroy the world several times over. They all have their own signaling systems. The possibility of nuclear war is never discussed in universities.”
“To establish a world government, there must be a monopoly of power.”
Referring to Prof. Dr. Tarhan's idea of a 'world government,' Prof. Scott Atran, stating that Albert Einstein also put forth this idea but unfortunately, to establish a world government, there must be a monopoly of power, said, “To establish a world government, there must be a monopoly of power. Who will relinquish their power? We are again returning to the issue of global competition.”
Prof. Scott Atran also stated that people inherently have racist tendencies, saying, “Unfortunately, this viewpoint still persists in the world; to overcome it, you need a very serious education. These are actually prejudices related to people.”
Prof. Scott Atran, stating that the United Nations is a weak system for many reasons, said, “The expansion of the Security Council is being discussed, but right now we are ignoring the issue of nuclear war.”
Prof. Scott Atran stated that people act according to the values they attach importance to, saying:
“If we look at the sacrifices people have made throughout history; they make these sacrifices not for themselves or their families, but for an idea... That is, they make sacrifices for who they are. Because ideas can change the world. They can change it to such a great extent that it cannot be changed militarily. Civilizations collapse, they rise... Why do they rise? Because of their value systems. Why do they collapse? They collapse because they lose their own value systems.”
What does the social experiment with Israelis and Palestinians say?
Prof. Scott Atran also provided information about an experiment they conducted in Israel and Palestine, dividing Israelis and Palestinians into three groups; he stated that the first group was asked, 'Would you return to the 1967 borders for lasting peace?' and both sides refused, with 80 percent rejecting it.
Atran: “There is a dispute here about who they are.”
Prof. Scott Atran stated that the second group was told, 'If you return to the 1967 borders, the European Union, the US, and Russia will provide 50,000 Euros in support to each family. Aid will be given to the Palestinian Authority and Israel,' and people also rejected this, saying, “There was an incredible rejection rate. This shows us that neither population has a material expectation. There is a dispute here about who they are. When we offered more material compensation, they rejected it much more vehemently.”
Atran: “The two-state solution is a matter both populations consider”
Prof. Scott Atran noted that in the third group, they asked both Israelis and Palestinians, 'Would you return to the 1967 borders?' He explained that Palestinians expected 'a sincere apology regarding the 1984 catastrophe,' and Israelis wanted 'antisemitic literature to be removed from Palestinian books.'
If trust can be established between Israel and Palestine, 'a two-state solution is a matter both populations consider,' said Prof. Scott Atran, adding, “Both populations actually want a lasting peace, but the important question here is how trust will be established? Building trust is very difficult, and once established, it's very easy to destroy. Sometimes even a single incident can cause all trust to collapse.”
