R. D Laing and the Ontological Security Showdown

These sources collectively examine the concept of ontological security, defined as the confidence in the continuity of one's self-identity and environment, primarily through the lens of International Relations (IR) theory and psychological well-being. Several texts explore the application of ontological security to states, arguing that it explains phenomena in world politics such as the persistence of conflict and the Western divergence from international norms (e.g., Brexit or protectionist policies), suggesting that states respond to threats to their sense of self through either rigidifying or changing their practices. Other sources consider the individual level, drawing heavily on R. D. Laing's existential-phenomenological work on schizoid and schizophrenic experiences to detail the profound anxiety and fragmentation of the self that accompanies ontological insecurity, characterized by fears like engulfment and petrification. Finally, one source connects ontological security to contemporary challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, examining how insecurity influences vaccination behavior and proposing that political myths and existentialist thought offer pathways for addressing global anxieties and fostering authentic selfhood.

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