This paper develops a comparative and theoretical dialogue between Kenneth E. Boulding and Carlos Federico Obregón Díaz, examining the transition from a systemic-symbolic ontology based on the concept of “image” to a relational-existential ontology grounded in “belonging.” Boulding’s framework integrates economics, peace studies, and general systems theory through the notion of image as the structure of perception guiding individual and collective behavior. Building on this foundation, Obregón reconstructs a broader interdisciplinary system in which belonging becomes the ontological, psychological, and institutional basis of human existence. The paper is structured around five axes: philosophy, economic theory, conception of the human being, theory of peace, and institutional analysis. It argues that belonging provides a deeper explanatory framework than systemic cognition alone, allowing for the integration of emotions, institutions, and global order. The study contributes to post-neoclassical economic thought, interdisciplinary social theory, and global peace studies by proposing a unified framework linking ontology, psychology, and institutional development.
Carlos Federico Obregon Diaz (Sun,) studied this question.