The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder
Buch, Englisch, 288 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 494 g
ISBN: 978-0-691-14594-5
Verlag: Princeton University Press
Genocide, mass murder, massacres. The words themselves are chilling, evoking images of the slaughter of countless innocents. What dark impulses lurk in our minds that even today can justify the eradication of thousands and even millions of unarmed human beings caught in the crossfire of political, cultural, or ethnic hostilities? This question lies at the heart of Why Not Kill Them All? Cowritten by historical sociologist Daniel Chirot and psychologist Clark McCauley, the book goes beyond exploring the motives that have provided the psychological underpinnings for genocidal killings. It offers a historical and comparative context that adds up to a causal taxonomy of genocidal events. Rather than suggesting that such horrors are the product of abnormal or criminal minds, the authors emphasize the normality of these horrors: killing by category has occurred on every continent and in every century. But genocide is much less common than the imbalance of power that makes it possible. Throughout history human societies have developed techniques aimed at limiting intergroup violence. Incorporating ethnographic, historical, and current political evidence, this book examines the mechanisms of constraint that human societies have employed to temper partisan passions and reduce carnage. Might an understanding of these mechanisms lead the world of the twenty-first century away from mass murder? Why Not Kill Them All? makes clear that there are no simple solutions, but that progress is most likely to be made through a combination of international pressures, new institutions and laws, and education. If genocide is to become a grisly relic of the past, we must fully comprehend the complex history of violent conflict and the struggle between hatred and tolerance that is waged in the human heart.In a new preface, the authors discuss recent mass violence and reaffirm the importance of education and understanding in the prevention of future genocides.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
- Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Militärwesen Friedenssicherung, Krisenintervention
- Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Gewalt Völkermord, Ethnische Säuberung, Kriegsverbrechen
- Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Konflikt- und Friedensforschung, Rüstungskontrolle, Abrüstung
- Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
Weitere Infos & Material
Preface to the Paperback Edition ix
Acknowledgments xv
INTRODUCTION: Are We Killers or Peacemakers? 1
CHAPTER ONE: Why Genocides? Are They Different Now Than in the Past? 11
The Four Main Motives Leading to Mass Political Murder 19
Are Modern Genocides and Ethnic Cleansings Different? Retribalization and the Modern State 45
CHAPTER TWO: The Psychological Foundations of Genocidal Killing 51
How to Get Ordinary People to Become Butchers 52
Organization 57
Emotional Appeals: Leaders and Followers 58
Essentializing Others 81
The Dangerous Similar Others 87
The Conditions of Genocide 90
CHAPTER THREE: Why Is Limited Warfare More Common Than Genocide? 95
Weighing the Costs of Genocidal Conflicts 97
Limiting the Damage of Warfare 99
Exogamy: Making the Enemy Part of the Family 103
Establishing Codes of Warfare and Exchange to Limit Violence 111
Are Rules of Exogamy, Codes of Honor, and Potlatching
Still Relevant? 116
The Mercantile Compulsion 121
Morality and Modesty: Rejecting Certitude 134
Yearning for Solutions 147
CHAPTER FOUR: Strategies to Decrease the Chances of Mass Political Murder in Our Time 149
State Policies That Reduce Hostility between Groups 155
Limiting Demands for Justice and Revenge 180
Modest Solutions and Small-Scale Changes to Promote Tolerance 187
The Crucial Role of States in Promoting Peaceful Exchanges 199
Individual Rights and Pluralist Histories 203
CONCLUSION: Our Question Answered 211
References 219
Index 249
