Ordinary People and Extraordinary Evil

Download or read book Ordinary People and Extraordinary Evil written by Fred Emil Katz and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2010-03-31 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is it in the behavioral makeup of ordinary people, operating in the course of ordinary daily living, that lends itself to participating in horrendous activities — and doing so at times with zeal, at times with joy, at times without duress? Katz demonstrates that we do not need any special behavioral equipment for doing evil. The very same behaviors can take us in both directions for either living humanely and decently or for doing evil. This book demonstrates how some of these processes work, and sensitizes us to the potential for evil in our ongoing daily activities. This knowledge about ordinary behavior can empower us to take charge of our own direction, and help us turn away from beguilings of evil when they come our way.