Paradox of Cruelty

by Philip Paul Hallie

Book by Philip P. Hallie

Genres: Philosophy

189 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Philip Paul Hallie (1922-1994) was an author, philosopher and professor at Wesleyan University for 32 years. During World War II he served in the US Army. His degrees were from Harvard, Oxford (where he was a Rhodes Scholar at Jesus College from 1949 to 1951) and Grinnell College. He studied and wrote on the nature of cruelty.

His best-known book was "Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed" (1979), which told the story of the French Protestants of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, who provided a haven and safe passage abroad to 2,500 Jews during World War II.

Reviews

[Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exploration of the infliction of pain, and its problem for human life, using examples from art and literature. Why do most people oppose cruelty in the abstract yet there are so many examples of cruelty in fact?

Hallie talks about the ways that victims can refuse to comply with the terms of the abusive relationship, albeit at great risk to themselves:

"Ethics is the way the weak limit the strong, not simply the way the strong philosophize amongst themselves. * * * ...the victim, though physically powerless compared with the villain, may be spiritually or mentally powerful compared to him, and the spiritual resistance she offers limits his power and eventually helps terminate it." (pp. 17, 92)

He talks about the relationship between sadist and victim:

"In order to victimize a creature you have to have it ‘in your power’ – you have to sequester it. If that creature could get away or get help it would no longer be passive enough to be a victim – it would be an active enemy or an active, running prey. The main elements of cruelty are action and passion, doing and undergoing, and an active victim does not have the passivity that slow maiming demands." (p. 22)
"[O]ne of the key ideas of [Frederick] Douglass’s autobiography: … The opposite of cruelty is freedom. The victim does not need the ultimately destructive gift of kindness when offered within the cruel relationship. He needs freedom from that relationship." (p. 159)