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Psychoanalysis of Evil

Perspectives on Destructive Behavior

  • Book
  • © 2014

Overview

Authors:
  1. Henry Kellerman

    1. The Postgraduate Psychoanalytic Society, Inc., New York, USA

    View author publications

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  • Sets forth the infrastructural properties of the phenomenon of evil
  • Discusses a variety of evils including an examination of genocides
  • Destructive and evil thinking and behavior are analyzed
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Psychology (BRIEFSPSYCHOL)

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
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  2. The Garden

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Entering the Domain of Evil

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 3-13

    3. The Nature of the Serpent in Paradise: Who or What is the Serpent?

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 15-27

    4. Theological References to Evil

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 29-39

    5. Philosophical References to Evil

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 41-50

    6. Psychoanalytic References to Evil

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 51-67

  3. Individuals and Societies

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 69-69
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    2. Hitler and Genocide

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 71-108

    3. Stalin and Genocide

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 109-116

    4. Turkey’s Genocide Against Armenians

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 117-121

    5. Sample of Other Twentieth Century Genocides: Bangladeshi, Cambodian, and Rwandan

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 123-128

    6. Summary and Conclusion: The Drama of the Garden

      • Henry Kellerman
      Pages 129-139

  4. Back Matter

    Pages 141-153
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Keywords

About this book

For all our knowledge of psychopathology and sociopathology--and despite endless examinations of abuse and torture, mass murder and genocide--we still don't have a real handle on why evil exists, where it derives from, or why it is so ubiquitous.

A compelling synthesis of diverse schools of thought, Psychoanalysis of Evil identifies the mental infrastructure of evil and deciphers its path from vile intent to malignant deeds. Evil is defined as manufactured in the psyche: the acting out of repressed wishes stemming from a toxic mix of harmful early experiences such as abuse and neglect, profound anger, negative personality factors, and mechanisms such as projection. This analysis brings startling clarity to seemingly familiar territory, that is, persons and events widely perceived as evil. Strongly implied in this far-reaching understanding is a call for more accurate forms of intervention and prevention as the author:

  • Reviews representations of evil from theological, philosophical, and psychoanalytic sources.
  • Locates the construction of evil in psychodynamic aspects of the psyche.
  • Translates vague abstractions of evil into recognizable concepts.
  • Exemplifies this theory with the lives and atrocities of Hitler and Stalin.
  • Applies psychoanalytic perspective to the genocides in Turkey, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Rwanda.
  • Revisits Hannah Arendt's concept of "the banality of evil."

Psychoanalysis of Evil holds a unique position in the literature and will gather considerable interest among readers in social psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, and political anthropology. Historians of mass conflict should find it instructive as well.

Authors and Affiliations

  • The Postgraduate Psychoanalytic Society, Inc., New York, USA

    Henry Kellerman

About the author

Henry Kellerman, Ph.D. is a psychologist/psychoanalyst/author. His career has spanned more than 50 years doing work as an interpreter of personality. Having held staff positions and professorial appointments at several hospitals and universities, he is also author and editor of 29 books and many scientific and clinical papers published in professional journals. Dr. Kellerman is a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and in Psychoanalysis of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is in private practice in New York City.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Psychoanalysis of Evil

  • Book Subtitle: Perspectives on Destructive Behavior

  • Authors: Henry Kellerman

  • Series Title: SpringerBriefs in Psychology

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07392-7

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science, Behavioral Science and Psychology (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-07391-0Published: 08 August 2014

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-07392-7Published: 28 July 2014

  • Series ISSN: 2192-8363

  • Series E-ISSN: 2192-8371

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXI, 153

  • Topics: Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Psychology

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