The broadest concept of defense is that of preventing unwanted change. This implies human evaluations of complex systems, estimating a given change as for the better or for the worse. The distinction between perceived betterment and actual betterment is difficult to make, but not meaningless....

This article reviews the first two volumes of the collected papers of Johan Galtung. The papers reveal Galtung as a major world thinker in the field of peace research and conflict studies. The review takes issue with him, however, on a number of points relating to such matters as his concept of...