Two Humanitarians
Seeking Peace:
Arno Gruen and Monte
Ullman
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In the
late 1950’s Arno Gruen, a Swiss-American psychoanalyst,
sent Monte Ullman an article he wrote on the interaction
between organic states and functions. In the early 60’s
Arno joined Monte in a stroke study at Cornell Medical
where Arno’s paper was published in the archives of
neurology. In addition, they co-authored an article
entitled,
“Behavioral Changes In Patients With Strokes”
published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Their
professional encounter developed into a friendship that
would last a lifetime. Ironically Arno, residing in
Zurich, was at Monte’s side in Westchester, New York
when Monte suffered a fatal stroke in 2008.
In 2010
Arno was awarded the Finnish Loviisa Peace Prize. His
lifelong research in the origins of violence challenges
Freud’s presumption that humans are naturally violent.
According to Gruen, the basic problem is parenting that
favors punishments and rewards which teaches children to
please authorities but doesn’t lead to personal moral
development. This leads to coldness, violence, and a
society where individuals’ self-esteem is based
primarily on success, status, and material gain.
Arno
Gruen says, “It is empathy and cooperation—not profit,
selfishness, and the drive for ever more bigness—that
will lead us toward a more humane civilization than our
present one.”
In Monte Ullman’s words,
"I believe our dreaming consciousness goes beyond a
concern for the individual and arises out of a more
basic concern, namely, the survival of the species.”
It is
fitting that Arno Gruen’s acceptance speech, “War
or Peace? We cannot survive with Real-Politik” be
posted in remembrance of Arno’s and Monte’s enduring
friendship, their contributions to humanity and mutual
concern for humankind.
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