What does peace studies research?
Peace studies is an interdisciplinary field that emerged in the mid-twentieth century to analyze the causes of conflict and the conditions for sustainable peace. Johan Galtung's foundational distinction between negative peace (absence of direct violence) and positive peace (absence of structural and cultural violence) expanded the field beyond military non-aggression to encompass social justice, human rights, and equitable development. Ikeda Daisaku (池田大作) contributes a humanistic dimension: he argues that lasting peace begins with the inner transformation of individuals—what he calls 'human revolution.'
- ·Negative peace: absence of war and direct violence
- ·Positive peace: elimination of structural violence (inequality, oppression) and cultural violence
- ·Johan Galtung established the academic foundations of peace studies in the 1960s
- ·Galtung's peace triangle: direct violence · structural violence · cultural violence
- ·Ikeda's peace philosophy: inner human revolution as the starting point for world peace
- ·Korea SGI's annual peace proposals and civil society activities
Definition and History of Peace Studies
Peace studies—also called Peace and Conflict Studies—emerged as a formal academic discipline in the postwar era, driven by the existential threat of nuclear warfare. The Norwegian Peace Research Institute (PRIO), co-founded by Johan Galtung in 1959, systematized the field's conceptual vocabulary. Its interdisciplinary character draws on international relations, sociology, philosophy, psychology, and law to analyze both the immediate and structural roots of conflict. The field has expanded to address gender-based violence, environmental conflict, transitional justice, and the relationship between development and peace.
Galtung's Peace Triangle
Johan Galtung identifies three types of violence that peace studies must address: direct violence (war, terrorism, assault—visible and intentional), structural violence (poverty, discrimination, inequality built into social structures), and cultural violence (the symbolic sphere—religion, art, ideology—that legitimizes the other two). Achieving genuine peace requires eliminating all three. This framework moved the field beyond traditional security studies toward a social-justice orientation, making peace studies relevant to anti-poverty advocacy, indigenous rights, and environmental sustainability.
Negative vs. Positive Peace
| Category | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Negative Peace | Absence of direct violence (war, conflict) | Ceasefire, arms reduction, peacekeeping |
| Positive Peace | Structural and cultural violence eliminated | Social justice, human rights, equality |
| Ikeda's Peace Philosophy | Inner human revolution → social transformation | Nuclear abolition proposals, dialogue diplomacy |
Ikeda Daisaku's Peace Philosophy
Since 1983, Ikeda Daisaku (池田大作) has issued annual peace proposals on January 26, calling for nuclear abolition, UN reform, and education as instruments of peace. His framework locates the source of peace in individual human transformation—'human revolution': when people develop wisdom and compassion, they naturally contribute to peaceful societies. This inner-transformation theory parallels Galtung's cultural violence framework: changing the cultural substrates that enable war requires changing people, not just institutions. Korea SGI (韓國SGI) operationalizes this philosophy through peace education programs and civil society engagement.