The roots of evil: why ordinary people commit atrocities

Abstract

Throughout history, people have struggled to understand the nature of evil—starting with primitive beliefs in evil spirits leading people astray and monotheistic con-ceptions of the dualism of good and evil, during the Renaissance the focus shifted to understanding the evil influence of society on the good in man. The horror of the two wars of the last century and continuing military conflicts of the day forced a different view of the problem—philosophers suggested, and social psychologists confirmed, the existence of a “banality of evil” in which the average person in certain circum-stances becomes a likeness of Lucifer. Modern scientists offered many other ex-planations—from genetic to brain functioning. In turn, psychoanalysis has proposed a host of theoretical concepts to explain the inner nature of violence, from Thanatos and compulsive repetition to attachment dysfunctions and destructive narcissism. Whatever the models, dehumanisation remains an extremely serious problem, threatening not only the lives of individuals, but more and more often the existence of different ethnic groups and the world as a whole. This article attempts to discuss different factors that influence dehumanisation, as well as reflecting on some ways to prevent it.