Meta-argumentative cartographic guide to mediated conflict from a systemic thinking perspective

Abstract

This study presents a meta-argumentative cartographic guide designed to analyze and manage conflicts from a systemic perspective, integrating tools from pragma-dialectics and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). The guide is organized into three rings that explore conflict from its intrapersonal roots to its manifestation in interpersonal and systemic contexts. The first ring examines how personal beliefs and experiences influence the emergence of differences. The second ring focuses on the escalation of these differences into open conflicts, highlighting the relevance of argumentative maneuvers, such as fallacies, that exacerbate conflict situations. The third ring analyzes resolution strategies, such as mediation and litigation, emphasizing how mediation promotes critical dialogue and addresses underlying causes, facilitating conflict resolution and preventing future confrontations. The guide suggests that mediators adopt a systemic approach to minimize argumentative blockages and foster new perspectives among conflicting parties, thus ensuring a deeper and more conscious mediation process. It also emphasizes the need for mediators to understand the structure of conflict to intervene effectively and create a favorable environment for critical dialogue and the attitudinal transformation of the mediated agents, achieving sustainable solutions and more effective conflict management in the future.