The roots of evil: a psychoanalytic inquiry

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychoanalysis
• Sociology

Background:

• The concepts of "good and evil" have profoundly shaped human societies, influencing beliefs, rituals, and laws for millennia.
• While religions universally advocate for good, Western narratives of evil often originate from biblical traditions.
• Historically, good and evil were viewed as theological and moral constructs, but psychoanalytic theory has secularized these concepts.

Observation:

• Sigmund Freud's "death instinct" and Erich Fromm's "necrophilous character" represent early psychoanalytic secularizations of darker human impulses.
• This paper adopts a psychoanalytic framework to investigate the psychological underpinnings of "inhuman" actions.
• It analyzes behaviors through the lens of character structure, severe personality disorders, and the breakdown of empathy.

Findings:

• The "othering" process, or the defacement of the "other" to create an enemy, is a key mechanism discussed.
• Malignant aggression, duplicity, and sadism are fueled by primitive emotions, defense mechanisms, and superego pathology.
• Latent schizoid, narcissistic, and projective mechanisms contribute to rationalizing harmful behaviors.

Implications:

• Understanding the psychoanalytic roots of "evil" provides insight into severe personality pathology and destructive behaviors.
• Clinical portraits illustrate the complex interplay of psychological factors leading to sadistic and aggressive actions.
• This research highlights the importance of psychological factors in understanding the capacity for "inhuman" behavior.