The General Theory of Human Conflict: A Structural Framework of Identity, Dignity, and Legitimacy

This paper presents a unified, structural theory of human conflict. Drawing on an interdisciplinary review spanning sociology, psychology, political philosophy, anthropology, neuroscience, ethology, and cultural studies, the theory proposes that nearly all forms of conflict — interpersonal, communal, political, cultural, and international — arise when one or more of three symbolic pillars are threatened: identity, dignity, and legitimacy. The framework argues that conflict is fundamentally symbolic rather than material, and that living cultural practices — rituals, arts, embodied traditions, music, and communal ceremony — function as regulatory infrastructure that prevents symbolic destabilization and maintains social cohesion.