Factors of social equilibrium shaping and preventing violence

Abstract

The continuous landscape of violence that unfolds parallel to everyday life undermines our sense of well-being, security, and trust in the effectiveness of institutions that are evidently failing to guide individuals to act and react in socially desirable ways. In the paper, the authors explore the phenomenon of violence within the framework of objectively established structures and the circumstances under which economic polarization and power polarization dominate, arguing that mass shootings represent factors that significantly influence the emergence and frequency of violence. Since moral competence is one of the key resources of society for successfully coping with adaptive demands, particularly during crises, increasing connectedness, developing moral competence, and enhancing empathy are imperatives for building a society that can consistently and effectively respond to the (moral) challenges posed by its environment. The paper aims to point towards ideas on violence prevention by affirming the importance of moral competence in preventing violence, thereby preventing moral confusion, and reducing the risk of society‘s inadequate response to moral challenges.

Keywords

• violence
• power
• mass murder
• morality
• (im)balance