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The Genocidal Mentality
Examines the psychological problems arising from dependence on nuclear weapons
- GenresPsychologyHistory
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1990
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133 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jay Lifton
52 books227 followersRobert Jay Lifton was an American psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence, and for his theory of thought reform. He was an early proponent of the techniques of psychohistory.
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April 6, 2016
In the first five chapters of Lifton and Markusen’s The Genocidal Mentality, the authors put forth a compelling argument that a genocidal mindset has rooted itself in the modern world’s psyche as a result of the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons. This danger is quite real, and has not dissipated, despite the end of the Cold War. The authors link this mentality to the Nazi genocidal mindset, and argue that both share alarming parallels. Notably, much like ‘ordinary Germans’ became swept up in the Nazi movement and became increasingly radicalized and genocidal, the same may be said for the world today, such as with the belief that Mutually Assured Destruction, a form of “psychic numbing”, is actually not only effective and rational, but ethical. The dangers of “launch on warning,” are very real, as the authors point out, and the slightest mistake or error is capable of jeopardizing the entire future of our species.
The second chapter examines just how this mindset arose, from the strategic bombing campaigns of the Allies, to the atomic bombings on Japan, to the development of MAD, which made official public policy the genocide of millions of people in retaliation, and, as the authors put it, “massive brutalization.” Lifton and Markusen go on to discuss the ‘normalization’ of nuclear weapons in the modern mindset, and argues that the mindset has evolved through three waves, the second of which is the notion that we are ultimately helpless and must, in effect “learn to live with them,” which seems terribly fatalistic even if it is a common enough argument.
The authors go on to discuss Nazi ideology and the beginnings of the genocidal mindset in the third chapter. That Nazi’s practiced “apocalyptic biology” whith a goal of “killing to heal.” The authors then examine how American victory in WWII, not loss, engendered the nation with a universal trauma due to fear of these weapons. Ultimately, the authors argue that the genocidal mindset had arisen long before the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons to extreme lengths. Due to this collective trauma, the American people went through alternating paroxysms of fear and numbing before finally, rather like an abuse victim with a case of Stockholm Syndrome, embracing nuclearism - nuclear weapons as something which was fundamentally necessary and a source of “strength, protection, and safety.”
In the following chapter, the authors go on to examine nuclear technology, and argue that ultimately the pursuit of harnessing and attempting to control nuclear science is a form of psychism and an expression of man’s need to be able to control the totality of our external environment. This psychism is also embraced by radicals such as apocalyptic Christians in the U.S., who eagerly anticipate a nuclear armageddon which will usher in the Second Coming. (p. 85)
The fifth chapter again returns to a discussion on the Nazi genocidal mentality, and draws parallels between Nazi professionals and American physicists in regards as to how both sides attempted to rationalize and justify genocide.
While somewhat dated, this book is intrinsically important to understanding the danger posed by nuclear weapons, which are arguably a far greater threat to the world than terrorism. This idea is touched on in more recent works, most notably Eric Schlosser’s seminal Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety. Lifton and Markusen’s work is incredibly relevant today, as contrary to popular sentiment, nuclear deterrence, is not assurance, and it is important to understand the risks of even a limited nuclear genocide, such as is possible between India and Pakistan.
The latter half of The Genocidal Mindset examines more of the psychological aspects of nuclearism and how we may overcome these through a “species mentality.” Chapter six examines the concept of learned helplessness, and the feeling ordinary people experience as they decide they must go along with something just because it is already in place, and regardless of whether it is right or wrong. Whereas Nazis dehumanized the people they killed by describing them as vermin or bacteria, proponents of nuclearism engage in the same process by viewing victims of nuclear genocide as numbers on a computer screen. Chapters 7 and 8 continue viewing nuclearism through a psychological perspective, with the former examining deterrence and dissociation through psychic numbing, doubling, and denial. At the end of chapter 7, the authors argue that there has been in recent years a decline in the “cult of deterrence.” While this may prove true with the general public’s perceptions of deterrence, that is not the case with strategic planners, as both the U.S. and Russia have not abandoned Launch on Warning, and 2014 Russian nuclear doctrine permits first use of nuclear weapons against a conventionally armed enemy.
The fundamental argument behind chapter 8 is that we are all potential victims of nuclear self-genocide, and that we also collude with nuclear proponents, much like victims of Nazi genocide colluded with their killers as a means of psychic numbing. Furthermore, the authors argue rather convincingly that nuclear devices are inherently dangerous to the democratic process since by their very secretive nature they tend towards extreme centralization.
The authors conclude their work on a rather too-optimistic note, arguing that it is necessary to replace our current genocidal mentality with a species wide mentality. While this seems ostensibly a good idea, and indeed would be the preferable outcome, it ignores that humans are intrinsically tribal, and divide themselves between nations, politics, religions, and ethnicities.
This book is all the more pertinent since last week saw Washington D.C. host the Biennial Nuclear Security Summit, and recent years have seen a rise in nationalism in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S., jingoistic presidential candidate Donald Trump recently announced his preference for non-nuclear states, such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, to possess nuclear weapons without relying on the umbrella of U.S. protection. This reckless disregard for the cataclysmic dangers of nuclear proliferation is coupled with the fact that he has also not ruled out using nuclear weapons should a general European war break out. Likewise, in Europe, due to the failure of the European Union in the last few years coupled with the ongoing immigration crisis, Europe has seen the rise of similarly jingoistic rhetoric and poll numbers from Marine Le Pen from France’s National Front, Greece’s Golden Dawn, and the UK Independence Party; It seems unlikely that Lifton and Markusen’s goal of a species-wide mentality is attainable.
The second chapter examines just how this mindset arose, from the strategic bombing campaigns of the Allies, to the atomic bombings on Japan, to the development of MAD, which made official public policy the genocide of millions of people in retaliation, and, as the authors put it, “massive brutalization.” Lifton and Markusen go on to discuss the ‘normalization’ of nuclear weapons in the modern mindset, and argues that the mindset has evolved through three waves, the second of which is the notion that we are ultimately helpless and must, in effect “learn to live with them,” which seems terribly fatalistic even if it is a common enough argument.
The authors go on to discuss Nazi ideology and the beginnings of the genocidal mindset in the third chapter. That Nazi’s practiced “apocalyptic biology” whith a goal of “killing to heal.” The authors then examine how American victory in WWII, not loss, engendered the nation with a universal trauma due to fear of these weapons. Ultimately, the authors argue that the genocidal mindset had arisen long before the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons to extreme lengths. Due to this collective trauma, the American people went through alternating paroxysms of fear and numbing before finally, rather like an abuse victim with a case of Stockholm Syndrome, embracing nuclearism - nuclear weapons as something which was fundamentally necessary and a source of “strength, protection, and safety.”
In the following chapter, the authors go on to examine nuclear technology, and argue that ultimately the pursuit of harnessing and attempting to control nuclear science is a form of psychism and an expression of man’s need to be able to control the totality of our external environment. This psychism is also embraced by radicals such as apocalyptic Christians in the U.S., who eagerly anticipate a nuclear armageddon which will usher in the Second Coming. (p. 85)
The fifth chapter again returns to a discussion on the Nazi genocidal mentality, and draws parallels between Nazi professionals and American physicists in regards as to how both sides attempted to rationalize and justify genocide.
While somewhat dated, this book is intrinsically important to understanding the danger posed by nuclear weapons, which are arguably a far greater threat to the world than terrorism. This idea is touched on in more recent works, most notably Eric Schlosser’s seminal Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety. Lifton and Markusen’s work is incredibly relevant today, as contrary to popular sentiment, nuclear deterrence, is not assurance, and it is important to understand the risks of even a limited nuclear genocide, such as is possible between India and Pakistan.
The latter half of The Genocidal Mindset examines more of the psychological aspects of nuclearism and how we may overcome these through a “species mentality.” Chapter six examines the concept of learned helplessness, and the feeling ordinary people experience as they decide they must go along with something just because it is already in place, and regardless of whether it is right or wrong. Whereas Nazis dehumanized the people they killed by describing them as vermin or bacteria, proponents of nuclearism engage in the same process by viewing victims of nuclear genocide as numbers on a computer screen. Chapters 7 and 8 continue viewing nuclearism through a psychological perspective, with the former examining deterrence and dissociation through psychic numbing, doubling, and denial. At the end of chapter 7, the authors argue that there has been in recent years a decline in the “cult of deterrence.” While this may prove true with the general public’s perceptions of deterrence, that is not the case with strategic planners, as both the U.S. and Russia have not abandoned Launch on Warning, and 2014 Russian nuclear doctrine permits first use of nuclear weapons against a conventionally armed enemy.
The fundamental argument behind chapter 8 is that we are all potential victims of nuclear self-genocide, and that we also collude with nuclear proponents, much like victims of Nazi genocide colluded with their killers as a means of psychic numbing. Furthermore, the authors argue rather convincingly that nuclear devices are inherently dangerous to the democratic process since by their very secretive nature they tend towards extreme centralization.
The authors conclude their work on a rather too-optimistic note, arguing that it is necessary to replace our current genocidal mentality with a species wide mentality. While this seems ostensibly a good idea, and indeed would be the preferable outcome, it ignores that humans are intrinsically tribal, and divide themselves between nations, politics, religions, and ethnicities.
This book is all the more pertinent since last week saw Washington D.C. host the Biennial Nuclear Security Summit, and recent years have seen a rise in nationalism in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.S., jingoistic presidential candidate Donald Trump recently announced his preference for non-nuclear states, such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, to possess nuclear weapons without relying on the umbrella of U.S. protection. This reckless disregard for the cataclysmic dangers of nuclear proliferation is coupled with the fact that he has also not ruled out using nuclear weapons should a general European war break out. Likewise, in Europe, due to the failure of the European Union in the last few years coupled with the ongoing immigration crisis, Europe has seen the rise of similarly jingoistic rhetoric and poll numbers from Marine Le Pen from France’s National Front, Greece’s Golden Dawn, and the UK Independence Party; It seems unlikely that Lifton and Markusen’s goal of a species-wide mentality is attainable.
Want to read
April 13, 2008Still building up to really sit down with this one, but the bits and pieces I've read seem promising thus far with regards to a "deep analysis" (a la Erik Ericson) of genocidal and totalitarian movements.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews