Becoming Evil - How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Murder

Social psychologist James Waller uncovers the internal and external factors that can lead ordinary people to commit extraordinary acts of evil. Waller offers a sophisticated and comprehensive psychological view of how anyone can potentially participate in heinous crimes against humanity. He outlines the evolutionary forces that shape human nature, the individual dispositions that are more likely to engage in acts of evil, and the context of cruelty in which these extraordinary acts can emerge. Eyewitness accounts are presented at the end of each chapter. In this second edition, Waller has revised and updated eyewitness accounts and substantially reworked Part II of the book, removing the chapter about human nature and evolutionary adaptations, and instead using this evolutionary perspective as a base for his entire model of human evil.

Product details

• Authors: James Waller, James E. Waller, Waller James E.
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 05.04.2007
• EAN: 9780195314564
• ISBN: 978-0-19-531456-4
• No. of pages: 351
• Dimensions: 158 mm x 235 mm x 15 mm
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Applied psychology; European History, HISTORY / Military / General, PSYCHOLOGY / Social Psychology, HISTORY / Europe / General, PSYCHOLOGY / Psychopathology / General, HISTORY / Social History, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Genocide & War Crimes, Social & cultural history, Second World War, Social, group or collective psychology, Social and cultural history, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Criminal or forensic psychology, Modern warfare, Genocide & ethnic cleansing, Genocide and ethnic cleansing, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General