Paradoxes of Conflicts

This volume features more than 25 papers that were presented at the 2014 Conference of the International Association for the Study of Controversies, IASC, held at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy. It looks at conflict and conflict resolution from diverse perspectives, including philosophy, psychology, law, and history.

Coverage explores the paradox of conflict and examines how discord, whether large or small, international or internal, can be both a source of chaos as well as a foundation for unity, a limitation of potential as well as an entryway to a greater depth of living.

Inside, readers will discover thought-provoking answers to such questions as: What are the conditions to ensure that a conflict can be converted into cooperation? If the conflict between interests can be solved by a compromise, what happens when a conflict involves non-negotiable values??? In the management of a conflict, what role is played by argumentation? What are the latest perspectives in conflict management? How does the theory of controversies allows us to recognize and resolve conflicts?

By the end of the book, readers will have a better understanding of how conflict can be transcended and how it's possible to redefine the conflicting situation so that what seemed incompatible and locked may, in fact, open a new perspective.

Giovanni Scarafile (PhD, Lecce University) teaches Ethics of Communication at University of Salento in Lecce. He is vicepresident of the IASC, International Association for the Study of Controversies. With Dana Riesenfeld, has coauthored the book 'Philosophical Dialogue' (Springer 2014). His last monography is 'Interdisciplinarità ed etica della comunicazione', Lulu 2014.

Leah Gruenpeter-Gold (PhD candidate, Tel-Aviv University) mentored by Prof. Marcelo Dascal. Research centers on visual pragmatics and focuses on René Magritte's methodology of non-interpretation. Participated in the IASC workshop 'Listening and Controversies' chaired by Prof. Giovanni Scarafile during the 23RD World Congress of Philosophy WPC, Athens 2013.