Reflections On The Psychology Of Evil: The Holocaust
Reflections On The Psychology Of Evil: The Holocaust

Summary/Abstract: The psychology of evil is considered from an evolutionary point of view: participation in evil is the unwanted, but inevitable result of the interaction between adaptive processes whose primary purpose is to optimize information processing, alleviate suffering, facilitate group inclusion and help us cope with the awareness of our own mortality. The roles that obedience to authority and coping with extreme life situations, as illustrated by the works of Stanley Milgram and Robert Jay Lifton, play in the dynamic of participation in evil, are emphasized. Specific references are made to the Holocaust, considered a prototypical example of evil.

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