Genocide & Human Nature: The Horror and the Hope Historian Paul Bookbinder’s Thesis“Characteristics of Most Genocidal Societies”[from the Facing History and Ourselves Newsletter, Spring 1998]An exaggerated sense of “the other” rooted in ancient hostilitiesLack of an open and effective mediaFailure on the part of moral leaders to stress values like cooperation, respect, and kindnessFailure of the international community to react to early signs of ethnic violence* What other characteristics can you identify from historical specifics? * Is one of the following theses a more accurate explanation for the Holocaust?The Facing History and Ourselves Thesis:Social pressures to conform, brainwashing, intimidation, mob mentality, human nature,and other psychological factors created an environment in which genocide occurred. Daniel Goldhagen’s Thesis:A long history of anti-Semitism in Europe created a background in which deliberate decisions to eliminate Jewswere made by hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Germans and Poles. It was not just Nazi threats,pressures to conform, or Germans’ “tendency” to obey authority. Many were willing executioners. Some Key QuestionsWhat is “justice”? What is justice for the victims? What is justice for the perpetrators?What has to happen for justice to be achieved?Are there universal standards for “right” and “wrong”?Are there basic human rights that are agreed upon worldwide?Why does genocide happen? Why did the Holocaust happen? Are the answers the same?To what extent do Paul Bookbinder’s characteristics of most genocidal societies(and your additions to his four) apply to every genocide?Are the unique characteristics of each genocide more important thanthe shared preconditions or characteristics? That is, when comparing genocides,are the similarities or differences more pronounced?What psychological tendencies help explain how and why humans can commit genocidal acts?What psychological tendencies help us understand why good people and good governmentsusually have done nothing, or have acted too late, to stop genocidal events?
Some Themes Presentin Our Study of Each Genocide The Preconditions & Characteristics of Genocidal SocietiesThe Concept of “The Other”The Role of the International Community (UN / EU / AU)The Role of The United StatesThe Challenge of Understanding Both the Vast Enormity of Genocide(especially the Holocaust)and the Individual, Personal ExperienceEverything Happened Because Individuals Made Choices.Rescuers Who Helped Save the Targeted GroupThose Who Resisted & Fought the PerpetratorsThe Perpetrators’ Denial of ResponsibilityThe Question of Justice
Historian Paul Bookbinder’s Thesis“Characteristics of Most Genocidal Societies”[from the Facing History and Ourselves Newsletter, Spring 1998]An exaggerated sense of “the other” rooted in ancient hostilitiesLack of an open and effective mediaFailure on the part of moral leaders to stress values like cooperation, respect, and kindnessFailure of the international community to react to early signs of ethnic violence * What other characteristics can you identify from historical specifics? *
Is one of the following theses a more accurate explanation for the Holocaust?The Facing History and Ourselves Thesis:Social pressures to conform, brainwashing, intimidation, mob mentality, human nature, and other psychological factors created an environment in which genocide occurred.
Daniel Goldhagen’s Thesis:A long history of anti-Semitism in Europe created a background in which deliberate decisions to eliminate Jews were made by hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Germans and Poles. It was not just Nazi threats, pressures to conform, or Germans’ “tendency” to obey authority. Many were willing executioners.
Some Key QuestionsWhat is “justice”? What is justice for the victims? What is justice for the perpetrators?What has to happen for justice to be achieved?Are there universal standards for “right” and “wrong”?Are there basic human rights that are agreed upon worldwide?Why does genocide happen? Why did the Holocaust happen? Are the answers the same?To what extent do Paul Bookbinder’s characteristics of most genocidal societies (and your additions to his four) apply to every genocide?Are the unique characteristics of each genocide more important than the shared preconditions or characteristics? That is, when comparing genocides, are the similarities or differences more pronounced?What psychological tendencies help explain how and why humans can commit genocidal acts?What psychological tendencies help us understand why good people and good governments usually have done nothing, or have acted too late, to stop genocidal events?
Some Themes Present in Our Study of Each Genocide
The Preconditions & Characteristics of Genocidal SocietiesThe Concept of “The Other”The Role of the International Community (UN / EU / AU)The Role of The United StatesThe Challenge of Understanding Both the Vast Enormity of Genocide (especially the Holocaust) and the Individual, Personal ExperienceEverything Happened Because Individuals Made Choices.Rescuers Who Helped Save the Targeted GroupThose Who Resisted & Fought the PerpetratorsThe Perpetrators’ Denial of ResponsibilityThe Question of Justice