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BECOMING EVIL:HOW ORDINARY PEOPLE COMMIT GENOCIDE & MASS KILLING 2E: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing
The first edition of Becoming Evil spoke unforgettably to a world shell-shocked by 9/11 that faced a new war on terror against members of an Axis of Evil. With this second edition, James Waller brings us up to date on some of the horrific events he used in the first edition to illustrate his theory of extraordinary human evil, particularly those from the perennially troubled Balkans and Africa, pointing out steps taken both forward and back. Nearly a third of the references are new, reflecting the rapid pace of scholarship in Holocaust and genocide studies, and the issue of gender now occupies a prominent place in the discussion of the social construction of cruelty. Waller also offers a reconfigured explanatory model of evil to acknowledge that human behavior is multiply influenced, and that any answer to the question "Why did that person act as he or she did?" can be examined at two levels of analysis-- the proximate and the ultimate. Bookended by a powerful new foreword from
Greg Stanton, vice-president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and a devastating postscript that addresses current outbreaks of genocide and mass killing, this new edition demonstrates that genocide is a problem whose time has not yet passed, but Waller's clear vision gives hope that at least we can begin to understand how ordinary people are recruited into the process of destruction.
Greg Stanton, vice-president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and a devastating postscript that addresses current outbreaks of genocide and mass killing, this new edition demonstrates that genocide is a problem whose time has not yet passed, but Waller's clear vision gives hope that at least we can begin to understand how ordinary people are recruited into the process of destruction.
351 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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December 15, 2012
In his book Becoming Evil, James Waller argues that ordinary individuals - people like you and me - are the ones who commit genocide and mass murder. He believes that the nature of the collective; the influence of an ideology, psychopathology, or personality; and obedience to authority are not by themselves enough to explain why people commit extraordinary evil. Waller offers readers a new model for explaining how people can be moved to commit genocide which I found absolutely fascinating and thought provoking.
In his model, Waller identifies three "here-and-now" influences which impact our behavior in situations of collective violence. In the cultural construction of worldview, collectivistic values (collective identity, social obligation, and group commitment), our authoritarian orientation, and our need for social dominance can enable individuals to engage in acts of extraordinary evil. The psychological construction of the "other" plays another vital role in allowing ordinary people to commit genocide. In "us-them" thinking, we clearly distinguish one group from another. One views one's own group as superior and they often feel prejudice and/or hostile toward the other group. I found his idea of moral disengagement fascinating. Perpetrators of genocide use three practices which allow them to see their actions as acceptable and to alleviate their guilt. They justify their actions as moral- they see killing members of another group as necessary for their own group's safety and security. They dehumanize their victims to make the killing easier and utilize language to do so. They are no longer considered human beings but cockroaches, snakes, vermin, etc. They also use euphemisms to mask the true nature of their work. Instead of saying they are committing murder, they say they are going to "work." Blaming the victims is also another important rationale perpetrators use to condone their actions. By blaming the victims for their own misfortune, they relieve themselves of responsibility and guilt. They are no longer reflecting on their own actions but instead focusing on what the victims must have done to deserve such treatment.
I agree with Waller that the classification of a group as an "other," their dehumanization, and blaming the victims for their mistreatment are very important factors influencing perpetrators. It is much easier to kill someone who is different from you, to kill not someone but something that isn't human, and to kill someone who deserves it. The use of euphemisms caught my attention as well. It is much easier on one's conscious to not see yourself as conducting the business of mass murder but to see your actions as "getting rid of vermin or disease." You are no longer focusing on your actions of murder but on your tasks.
Waller also emphasizes the power of situation forces in influencing our behavior. In professional socialization, group members look to others for cues on how to behave and are socialized into a context of cruelty. Waller also believes in a concept he calls "escalating commitments." Group members are asked to perform one small act and once they comply, they are more likely to comply with larger and more harmful acts in the future. They become brutalized during the killing process and killing becomes normal behavior. The killers learn to kill and killing becomes easier over time to the point that they no longer have scruples about murder.
I find Waller's model to be very insightful. All of the factors he mentions are very important in explaining genocide and show us that it is a complex issue that has many influencing factors, factors that often overlap to create a situation that enables ordinary people to commit genocide. I also appreciated that he included personal stories and historical information on several genocides between each chapter of the book. They were very informative and made the subject matter of the book more personal. I highly highly recommend this book!
In his model, Waller identifies three "here-and-now" influences which impact our behavior in situations of collective violence. In the cultural construction of worldview, collectivistic values (collective identity, social obligation, and group commitment), our authoritarian orientation, and our need for social dominance can enable individuals to engage in acts of extraordinary evil. The psychological construction of the "other" plays another vital role in allowing ordinary people to commit genocide. In "us-them" thinking, we clearly distinguish one group from another. One views one's own group as superior and they often feel prejudice and/or hostile toward the other group. I found his idea of moral disengagement fascinating. Perpetrators of genocide use three practices which allow them to see their actions as acceptable and to alleviate their guilt. They justify their actions as moral- they see killing members of another group as necessary for their own group's safety and security. They dehumanize their victims to make the killing easier and utilize language to do so. They are no longer considered human beings but cockroaches, snakes, vermin, etc. They also use euphemisms to mask the true nature of their work. Instead of saying they are committing murder, they say they are going to "work." Blaming the victims is also another important rationale perpetrators use to condone their actions. By blaming the victims for their own misfortune, they relieve themselves of responsibility and guilt. They are no longer reflecting on their own actions but instead focusing on what the victims must have done to deserve such treatment.
I agree with Waller that the classification of a group as an "other," their dehumanization, and blaming the victims for their mistreatment are very important factors influencing perpetrators. It is much easier to kill someone who is different from you, to kill not someone but something that isn't human, and to kill someone who deserves it. The use of euphemisms caught my attention as well. It is much easier on one's conscious to not see yourself as conducting the business of mass murder but to see your actions as "getting rid of vermin or disease." You are no longer focusing on your actions of murder but on your tasks.
Waller also emphasizes the power of situation forces in influencing our behavior. In professional socialization, group members look to others for cues on how to behave and are socialized into a context of cruelty. Waller also believes in a concept he calls "escalating commitments." Group members are asked to perform one small act and once they comply, they are more likely to comply with larger and more harmful acts in the future. They become brutalized during the killing process and killing becomes normal behavior. The killers learn to kill and killing becomes easier over time to the point that they no longer have scruples about murder.
I find Waller's model to be very insightful. All of the factors he mentions are very important in explaining genocide and show us that it is a complex issue that has many influencing factors, factors that often overlap to create a situation that enables ordinary people to commit genocide. I also appreciated that he included personal stories and historical information on several genocides between each chapter of the book. They were very informative and made the subject matter of the book more personal. I highly highly recommend this book!
July 28, 2014
This book changed my outlook on human nature. Given the right training and incentives, we’re all capable of evil. Not just the evil of stealing or lying, but genocide. The book is so utterly convincing that at this point, at least amongst scholars, it’s not really a debate.
It made me a little sad because I've always had a very sunny outlook about human nature.
It made me a little sad because I've always had a very sunny outlook about human nature.
May 2, 2021
The book gives a good account of the psychological angles of how normal people can committ mass murder and genocide. I wish the book went into depth with the Nazis and the concentraion camps or the Balkan conflict in Bosnia. Instead the book is written from a sociological perspective. Thanks.
September 12, 2007
Almost finished, after an entire summer of having this be the book I read on the bus. An oddly good way to meet interesting people...
I consider this book a relatively good outline of research related to the causes of genocide. This is a particular fascination of mine, so I can't say how it would read either to a non-psychologist or to someone with no background in research related to genocide. I was troubled by the author's continued use of the word "evil" and his insistence, at the end of every page, almost, that we must continue to condemn, detest, revile those who commit genocide. He seemed very defensive against the claim that his book would be seen as a justification for participating in genocide, to the extent that I felt he was hampered by this fear.
The majority of the social psychological research outlined in the book was not new to me-- this is my area of expertise, so that makes sense. And I felt the book lacked any kind of substantial commentary on why people choose to believe what they do about genocide, aside from a commentary on the exculpating belief that genocide can only come from an obviously and deeply sick society quite different from our own. I felt, while reading, that the author would benefit from examining his own beliefs about genocide, how they have altered based on his own research, and comment more on the sort of education and openness he subtly suggests as a cure for genocide.
I consider this book a relatively good outline of research related to the causes of genocide. This is a particular fascination of mine, so I can't say how it would read either to a non-psychologist or to someone with no background in research related to genocide. I was troubled by the author's continued use of the word "evil" and his insistence, at the end of every page, almost, that we must continue to condemn, detest, revile those who commit genocide. He seemed very defensive against the claim that his book would be seen as a justification for participating in genocide, to the extent that I felt he was hampered by this fear.
The majority of the social psychological research outlined in the book was not new to me-- this is my area of expertise, so that makes sense. And I felt the book lacked any kind of substantial commentary on why people choose to believe what they do about genocide, aside from a commentary on the exculpating belief that genocide can only come from an obviously and deeply sick society quite different from our own. I felt, while reading, that the author would benefit from examining his own beliefs about genocide, how they have altered based on his own research, and comment more on the sort of education and openness he subtly suggests as a cure for genocide.
April 12, 2022
I had to read this book for a class at university. I expected the book to be a standard, relatively dry academic treatise on social sociology. Instead, this book as was incredibly engaging and interesting - one of the rare books that quite directly changes the way you understand people and the world. I will think about this book for a long time.
August 26, 2018
Yielding to the Dark
Is there a common pattern or patterns that can explain how human beings come to a point where they can commit genocide? Are there indicators in advance of a genocide, can we act in time to prevent it, and do we have the political will to do so? Waller surveys recent work and opposing views in history, sociology and psychology and frames his chapters with first person accounts.
Early work done in the 50s and 60s such as Adorno's F-scale was used to frame discussion about authoritarian personalities believed to explain Nazi-like behaviour - yet Waller allows that the methodology was criticized for focusing on fascism on the right and ignoring the threat of communism on the right. Hanah Arendt's contention of "the banality of evil" (pp95-99) is that it was indifference, not malevolence that made the followers of Nazi policy malleable, which is also criticised by Holocaust historians such a Raoul Hilberg not accounting for the enthusiasm and pride that Nazis such as Eichmann had for their work. Browning's study of Police Battalion 101 showed that many of the perpetrators were in fact quite ordinary men. In Hohne's assessment of the Nazi death squads (pp67) they were not sadists but "family men brought up in the belief that antisemitism was a form of pet control". Though given the option of opting out of particular operations, the vast majority remained on duty out of loyalty to the group. In particular the work of Henri Tajfel demonstrated that even small artificially introduced labeling differences between randomly assembled groups could be manipulated into creating hostile reactions. Particularly interesting was Robert Lifton's "doubling" theory (pp111) which suggested that cognitive tension over the act of violence caused the perpetrator to create a second self, a Jekyll vs Hyde however Waller counters that the evidence for this is weak and in that the two personalities were so permeable as to make the idea superfluous.
While not a predictor, the desire for conformity appears common, both in terms of emulating the aggressiveness of other but also as a justification for diminishing and devaluing the humanity of others. Thus Naziism centralized the ideal of racial purity and exaggerates characteristics of other "races" as marks of inferiority. In Cambodia the Khmer Rouge created a rigid definition of themselves as the in-group and incited for the elimination non-conforming individuals. Kinship or association with references to motherland, fatherland, "brotherhood" or through membership in a group is invoked as a unifying principle. Genocide is also a rebellion against complexity, a belief in zero sum dynamics wherein if one's adversary does well it must be explained in terms of an unfair advantage requiring retribution. Quoting psychologist/sociologist Ervin Staub (pp184), "when an ideology of antagonism exists, anything good that happens to the other inflames hostility. The ideology makes the world seem a better place without the other."
The coverage of events is representative, not comprehensive with a scope including the American Indian Wars, the Armenian Genocide, Genocides of the 2nd World War, East Timor, the massacres of the Mayans of Guatemala, The Khmer Rouge of Cambodia and the Hutus and Tutsis Rwanda. This second edition ends with a brief look at recent events in Chechnya and Sudan.
Recommended.
Is there a common pattern or patterns that can explain how human beings come to a point where they can commit genocide? Are there indicators in advance of a genocide, can we act in time to prevent it, and do we have the political will to do so? Waller surveys recent work and opposing views in history, sociology and psychology and frames his chapters with first person accounts.
Early work done in the 50s and 60s such as Adorno's F-scale was used to frame discussion about authoritarian personalities believed to explain Nazi-like behaviour - yet Waller allows that the methodology was criticized for focusing on fascism on the right and ignoring the threat of communism on the right. Hanah Arendt's contention of "the banality of evil" (pp95-99) is that it was indifference, not malevolence that made the followers of Nazi policy malleable, which is also criticised by Holocaust historians such a Raoul Hilberg not accounting for the enthusiasm and pride that Nazis such as Eichmann had for their work. Browning's study of Police Battalion 101 showed that many of the perpetrators were in fact quite ordinary men. In Hohne's assessment of the Nazi death squads (pp67) they were not sadists but "family men brought up in the belief that antisemitism was a form of pet control". Though given the option of opting out of particular operations, the vast majority remained on duty out of loyalty to the group. In particular the work of Henri Tajfel demonstrated that even small artificially introduced labeling differences between randomly assembled groups could be manipulated into creating hostile reactions. Particularly interesting was Robert Lifton's "doubling" theory (pp111) which suggested that cognitive tension over the act of violence caused the perpetrator to create a second self, a Jekyll vs Hyde however Waller counters that the evidence for this is weak and in that the two personalities were so permeable as to make the idea superfluous.
While not a predictor, the desire for conformity appears common, both in terms of emulating the aggressiveness of other but also as a justification for diminishing and devaluing the humanity of others. Thus Naziism centralized the ideal of racial purity and exaggerates characteristics of other "races" as marks of inferiority. In Cambodia the Khmer Rouge created a rigid definition of themselves as the in-group and incited for the elimination non-conforming individuals. Kinship or association with references to motherland, fatherland, "brotherhood" or through membership in a group is invoked as a unifying principle. Genocide is also a rebellion against complexity, a belief in zero sum dynamics wherein if one's adversary does well it must be explained in terms of an unfair advantage requiring retribution. Quoting psychologist/sociologist Ervin Staub (pp184), "when an ideology of antagonism exists, anything good that happens to the other inflames hostility. The ideology makes the world seem a better place without the other."
The coverage of events is representative, not comprehensive with a scope including the American Indian Wars, the Armenian Genocide, Genocides of the 2nd World War, East Timor, the massacres of the Mayans of Guatemala, The Khmer Rouge of Cambodia and the Hutus and Tutsis Rwanda. This second edition ends with a brief look at recent events in Chechnya and Sudan.
Recommended.
April 19, 2024
In his book "Becoming Evil", social psychologist James Waller provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis into how ordinary people can become perpetrators of genocide and mass atrocities. Through extensive research and case studies, Waller examines the complex interplay of factors that enable such extraordinary acts of evil.
Waller identifies several key elements that contribute to the perpetration of genocide and mass killing:
1. Group Dynamics and Ideologies: He explores how certain ideological beliefs and group mentalities, such as dehumanization of victims, can foster an environment conducive to violence.
2. Individual Dispositions: Certain personality traits and psychological tendencies, like an authoritarian personality or lack of autonomy, make some individuals more susceptible to becoming perpetrators.
3. Social and Cultural Context: Waller highlights how situational pressures, like a "culture of cruelty" or perceived threat, can normalize violence and override moral restraints.
Through numerous examples from historical atrocities like the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and the Guatemalan genocide, Waller illustrates how these factors converge to create a "perfect storm" that enables ordinary people to commit
One of the book's strengths is its challenge to common misconceptions about perpetrators of genocide. Waller debunks the notion that they are simply psychopaths or inherently evil individuals. Instead, he demonstrates how ordinary human beings, under certain circumstances, can be gradually conditioned and motivated to participate in mass killing.
Ultimately, "Becoming Evil" serves as a sobering reminder of the human capacity for cruelty and a call to vigilance against the forces that enable such atrocities. By understanding the psychological and social dynamics at play, Waller argues, we can become more aware of the warning signs and take steps to prevent future genocides.
While the subject matter is undoubtedly disturbing, Waller's rigorous and multifaceted approach provides valuable insights into one of humanity's darkest chapters. "Becoming Evil" is a must-read for anyone seeking to comprehend the depths of human behavior and the prevention of mass violence.
Waller identifies several key elements that contribute to the perpetration of genocide and mass killing:
1. Group Dynamics and Ideologies: He explores how certain ideological beliefs and group mentalities, such as dehumanization of victims, can foster an environment conducive to violence.
2. Individual Dispositions: Certain personality traits and psychological tendencies, like an authoritarian personality or lack of autonomy, make some individuals more susceptible to becoming perpetrators.
3. Social and Cultural Context: Waller highlights how situational pressures, like a "culture of cruelty" or perceived threat, can normalize violence and override moral restraints.
Through numerous examples from historical atrocities like the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and the Guatemalan genocide, Waller illustrates how these factors converge to create a "perfect storm" that enables ordinary people to commit
One of the book's strengths is its challenge to common misconceptions about perpetrators of genocide. Waller debunks the notion that they are simply psychopaths or inherently evil individuals. Instead, he demonstrates how ordinary human beings, under certain circumstances, can be gradually conditioned and motivated to participate in mass killing.
Ultimately, "Becoming Evil" serves as a sobering reminder of the human capacity for cruelty and a call to vigilance against the forces that enable such atrocities. By understanding the psychological and social dynamics at play, Waller argues, we can become more aware of the warning signs and take steps to prevent future genocides.
While the subject matter is undoubtedly disturbing, Waller's rigorous and multifaceted approach provides valuable insights into one of humanity's darkest chapters. "Becoming Evil" is a must-read for anyone seeking to comprehend the depths of human behavior and the prevention of mass violence.
August 17, 2020
I would love to see this topic covered in a more accessible read because it is so vitally important. Because we have all inherited an evolutionary capacity for this ultimate of evils, society could benefit from a wider circulation.
Professor Waller has set out to construct a model for understanding this deepest human impulse because "the nature of our human nature endows us with psychological mechanisms that leave us all capable of extraordinary evil when activated by proximate cultural, psychological, and social constructions." In other words, the acts aren't necessarily dispositional (arising from one's disposition and moral framework) but appear more situational. The Stanford Experiment is a clear case of this reality.
There is nothing new about genocide except the term and our employ of narratives and legal tricks to confuse the issue. From Sparta to the current issues in Myanmar and China, genocide is ancient. The author provides a framework for understanding its universality. Interestingly, genocide does not flourish in mature democracies. That is a truth of which we should be mindful as so many of our democracies lean into authoritarianism.
I would love to see a new edition or a new book. Updated in 2007, a lot has transpired since then. It would be interesting to see 13 years in which the methodology has been put to work.
Professor Waller has set out to construct a model for understanding this deepest human impulse because "the nature of our human nature endows us with psychological mechanisms that leave us all capable of extraordinary evil when activated by proximate cultural, psychological, and social constructions." In other words, the acts aren't necessarily dispositional (arising from one's disposition and moral framework) but appear more situational. The Stanford Experiment is a clear case of this reality.
There is nothing new about genocide except the term and our employ of narratives and legal tricks to confuse the issue. From Sparta to the current issues in Myanmar and China, genocide is ancient. The author provides a framework for understanding its universality. Interestingly, genocide does not flourish in mature democracies. That is a truth of which we should be mindful as so many of our democracies lean into authoritarianism.
I would love to see a new edition or a new book. Updated in 2007, a lot has transpired since then. It would be interesting to see 13 years in which the methodology has been put to work.
April 13, 2020
A bit dry and academic at times, but also compelling and convincing. James Waller, a psychology professor, offers a detailed model of how ordinary individuals are capable of committing "extraordinary evil" - such as genocide and crimes against humanity. Drawing on a large body of prior research, Waller effectively combines and categorizes multiple explanations into one unified theory. His argument focus on factors involving the perpetrator, the context of the action, and how the target victims have been defined. In between the chapters detailing his model, Waller includes brief, gripping accounts of past genocides and atrocities from around the world and throughout the 20th century - including Armenia, the Ukraine, Cambodia, Rwanda, the Balkans, and elsewhere.
December 2, 2020
This is a MUST read for every student undertaking courses in genocide studies, peace studies, history, conflict resolution, holocaust studies, or religion.
Wonderfully written with countless examples, this book feels like a condensed version of what could be a series of lectures on what makes ordinary people commit genocide and mass killings.
Though slightly outdated (second edition 2007), I hope the author will revise once more to include the 2011 South Sudan independence, the cultural genocides in China, and the situation in Myanmar.
Wonderfully written with countless examples, this book feels like a condensed version of what could be a series of lectures on what makes ordinary people commit genocide and mass killings.
Though slightly outdated (second edition 2007), I hope the author will revise once more to include the 2011 South Sudan independence, the cultural genocides in China, and the situation in Myanmar.
February 24, 2021
I read the second edition. The information in the book is interesting, but Waller has too much fluff in the book. He takes much too long to discuss the main topic. He also includes too many examples, which only serve to add pages to the book. His writing style is great when he’s trying to make a point. Unfortunately it’s also obvious that he’s trying to impress the reader with an unnecessarily ornate writing style when (it appears) he’s trying to merely add length to the book.
A decent book, but parts one & two could each be easily shortened by 50+ pages.
A decent book, but parts one & two could each be easily shortened by 50+ pages.
June 9, 2023
This was a tough read, for a variety of reasons. The content is super dense, so it isn’t a book you can fly through. It also gets dark and detailed about atrocities being committed. So, fair warning there. Also, the ultimate conclusion isn’t what you might expect/want, it isn’t crazy deranged people that commit atrocities. There was a line, somewhere, that said something about the sheer ordinariness of the people who committed these acts.
October 26, 2021
Actions are greater than identity, as the former always proceeds the latter. The progression of evil begins with indoctrination through education, transitions into slavery and ends in mass murder. Individual motives plus a social environment create cultural norms. We can know humanity by studying inhumanity. Know less to understand more.
May 29, 2024
A dense but important analysis of the psychological and social factors that result in mass murder. I have long struggled to understand how average citizens end up participating in genocide, pogroms, lynchings etc and this book provides a reasoned analysis of the factors that produce these atrocities. Depressing but still hopeful.
June 24, 2025
This book is an essential read. It was absolutely life-changing and invited so many interesting conversations regarding human nature. It is written in a way that is very digestible for someone who isn’t heavily familiar or studied in psychology or human rights. It is thought-provoking and will change the way you see the world, which is good, but also difficult.
June 6, 2025
Fascinating book about the psychology behind genocides, not just of the country but the ordinary people you see every day, and the step-by-step of how it got that far.
You don't kill a frog by putting it in boiling water.
You don't kill a frog by putting it in boiling water.
May 13, 2018
Fascinating, heartbreaking, educational – everything I could ask for from a required non-fiction book for class.
August 18, 2018
Tosi mielenkiintoinen kirja pahuudesta ja erityisesti joukkotuhoista ja kansanmurhista. Vahva suositus, jos pahuuden sosiaalipsykologia kiinnostaa.
April 23, 2022
How unhuman human can be...good book..addresses the title pretty much..
March 19, 2025
Waller considers the matter of "evil" and genocide in delicate manners whilst also explaining himself thoroughly. Any questions this book leaves me with are intentional on the authors part.
March 29, 2025
so interesting reading from a psychological perspective
January 21, 2015
Waller outlines quite brilliantly a new way of thinking - a new model - to explain the perpetration of genocide. In this model, the motivating factors behind the actions of genocide perpetrators are explained in intricate detail. However, explanation does not equate excuses. These acts, these behaviours, are not to be excused - they are meant to be understood, to be analyzed, to open a branch of discourse in genocide studies and open a door for more research.
Waller's view is inherently social psychological in nature, yet he doesn't ignore many other, equally important factors These factors include theories and frameworks from many fields of study - including history, anthropology, international relations, legal studies, sociology and so forth. This helps drive home the point that genocide studies - and more broadly criminology in itself - is a multi-disciplinary field which bridges many fields to each other - opening lines of discourse and research.
All of these such factors come together, in this case, in a very dangerous combination which elicits, as he calls it, "extraordinary human evil." I am inclined to agree. Throughout the book, Waller reiterates that this does not only refer to those whom we wish to see from a pedestal perspective - those at the top of the rankings of "evil" human beings. No, extraordinary evil acts can, and are, committed by ordinary people - the regular Joe off the street who got wrapped up in extreme circumstances of extreme violence. Such factors as the bureaucratic division of labour, in-group thinking, xenophobic ideology, all come together to create an atmosphere ripe with killing intent. (This is just an example - I am in no way authorized to state that this combination of factors is, indeed, behind the acts of a specific perpetrator)
However, this model comes with a distinct warning. We need to be reminded that such ordinary individuals are just as capable of committing vicious acts of violence and genocide as those whose names spread fear when related to highly publicized instances of mass violence. There is an intricate web of factors involved in explaining the motivations of a genocidal perpetrator. Waller's model helps us unravel the web bit by bit in order to better understand such intricacies.
This book is a fantastic addition to my thesis research, as it pertains precisely to a specific chapter of my thesis - a social psychological analysis of perpetrator motivations. With the benefit of added frameworks from an abundance of fields, I find this book to be a very insightful addition to the field of genocide studies, and perpetrator motivations.
Waller's view is inherently social psychological in nature, yet he doesn't ignore many other, equally important factors These factors include theories and frameworks from many fields of study - including history, anthropology, international relations, legal studies, sociology and so forth. This helps drive home the point that genocide studies - and more broadly criminology in itself - is a multi-disciplinary field which bridges many fields to each other - opening lines of discourse and research.
All of these such factors come together, in this case, in a very dangerous combination which elicits, as he calls it, "extraordinary human evil." I am inclined to agree. Throughout the book, Waller reiterates that this does not only refer to those whom we wish to see from a pedestal perspective - those at the top of the rankings of "evil" human beings. No, extraordinary evil acts can, and are, committed by ordinary people - the regular Joe off the street who got wrapped up in extreme circumstances of extreme violence. Such factors as the bureaucratic division of labour, in-group thinking, xenophobic ideology, all come together to create an atmosphere ripe with killing intent. (This is just an example - I am in no way authorized to state that this combination of factors is, indeed, behind the acts of a specific perpetrator)
However, this model comes with a distinct warning. We need to be reminded that such ordinary individuals are just as capable of committing vicious acts of violence and genocide as those whose names spread fear when related to highly publicized instances of mass violence. There is an intricate web of factors involved in explaining the motivations of a genocidal perpetrator. Waller's model helps us unravel the web bit by bit in order to better understand such intricacies.
This book is a fantastic addition to my thesis research, as it pertains precisely to a specific chapter of my thesis - a social psychological analysis of perpetrator motivations. With the benefit of added frameworks from an abundance of fields, I find this book to be a very insightful addition to the field of genocide studies, and perpetrator motivations.
February 18, 2010
The author, James Waller, a psychologist, posits that "it is ordinary individuals, like you and me, who commit extraordinary evil." Waller first defines human evil as "the deliberate harming of humans by other humans," and goes further with this definition to define extraordinary evil as those acts that are "perpetrated in times of collective social unrest, war, mass killings and genocide."
Waller takes various psychological theories and applies them to those individuals that have engaged in acts of extraordinary evil. His findings are explained using a four-pronged model that explains how ordinary people commit extraordinary evil. The explanation examines forces relevant to the person, the context in which the act takes places and the definition that is applied to the individuals against whom the act is taking place.
I admit I read this book because I am fascinated with, and very much interested in genocide, which is often labeled a war crime or crime against humanity. What feature of the human psyche allows an individual to demean or label another individual as something less than human, as something less than what they themselves are. If you are interested in what the field of psychology has to say about acts of genocide, then Waller's book is a good beginning point.
If I was more familiar with the psychology field I could perhaps offer up counter arguments to what Waller says. But, I am not a psychologist. All I can say is that what he writes makes sense. It applies to those individuals and circumstances where acts of extraordinary evil have occurred. But what he writes has made me stop and think about how I would act if placed circumstances conducive to genocide. If nothing else, the book made me stop, think, and evaluate and that, to me, is a sign of a good book.
Waller takes various psychological theories and applies them to those individuals that have engaged in acts of extraordinary evil. His findings are explained using a four-pronged model that explains how ordinary people commit extraordinary evil. The explanation examines forces relevant to the person, the context in which the act takes places and the definition that is applied to the individuals against whom the act is taking place.
I admit I read this book because I am fascinated with, and very much interested in genocide, which is often labeled a war crime or crime against humanity. What feature of the human psyche allows an individual to demean or label another individual as something less than human, as something less than what they themselves are. If you are interested in what the field of psychology has to say about acts of genocide, then Waller's book is a good beginning point.
If I was more familiar with the psychology field I could perhaps offer up counter arguments to what Waller says. But, I am not a psychologist. All I can say is that what he writes makes sense. It applies to those individuals and circumstances where acts of extraordinary evil have occurred. But what he writes has made me stop and think about how I would act if placed circumstances conducive to genocide. If nothing else, the book made me stop, think, and evaluate and that, to me, is a sign of a good book.
May 13, 2017
I initially started reading this book as a part of my Undergraduate course on the History of Human Rights, only completing it now looking back on it after 2 years. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as it provides insight into the psychology that is involved in 'Extraordinary Human Evil' complete with case-studies, similar to Wilhelm Reich's 'Mass Psychology of Fascism'. The book admits in the concluding chapter to be only a starting point of research, and in no way intends to draw any concrete conclusions. I think that it is important to address a lot of what the book contends; that in all of us there is a primal capacity to do awful things, driven by cognitive biases such as the obvious in-group vs out-group conceptions. One of the great benefits to reading this is to avoid the overly-simplistic and reductionist arguments of such people having fundamentally 'evil' personalities, that they're mentally ill, that they are stupid, or that such awful acts are limited to a select few perpetrators. Philosophically, it supports the contention of informed, self-reflective decision-making (and political resistance), which I fully support.
December 4, 2009
I like this book more than my own life. It is so great I want to create my own shrine and worship the hell out of this book. It shows alot about how the stupid our system is. It was cool, school is awesome too! I care about my education more so than having fun or living my life the way I want to live it.It was really hip and cracki'n
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2011
Though at times dense and jargon-laden, this was a fascinating read and a good insight into human nature. Waller creates a good foundation to build upon when understanding genocide and our capacity for evil. The case studies were horrifying, but a good reminder of why we need to understand and prevent mass killing.
July 30, 2007
A happy-go-lucky beach read! Points out that humans have tried to commit genocide just about everywhere during just about every time period, and tries to explain why. Useful for corporate office metaphors.
Want to read
September 12, 2007Looks interesting. Also, seems like a good balance to "Becoming Good", which I also have on my list. Check that, which I want to put on my list but cannot find listed on goodreads at the moment. Becoming Good is by David Gill.
August 3, 2010
Great book. Read this for a college class about Genocide. Very interesting to get a look at the possible reasons why horrific and cruel acts like Holocaust could happen. Probably wouldn't have read outside of school, but glad I had the opportunity to add this to my list.
August 9, 2012
A chilling non fiction book about how especially political and religious ideologies can manipulate normal everyday people into torturing, maiming and killing their fellow man. It's a whole lot easier than you think. And it happens too often
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