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On Evil
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Description
Evil has long fascinated psychologists, philosophers, novelists and playwrights but remains an incredibly difficult concept to talk about.
On Evil is a compelling and at times disturbing tour of the many faces of evil. What is evil, and what makes people do awful things? If we can explain evil, do we explain it away? Can we imagine the mind of a serial killer, or does such evil defy description? Does evil depend on a contrast with good, as religion tells us, or can there be evil for evil's sake?
Adam Morton argues that any account of evil must help us understand three things: why evil occurs; why evil often arises out of banal or everyday situations; and how we can be seen as evil. Drawing on fascinating examples as diverse as Augustine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, psychological studies of deviant behaviour and profiles of serial killers, Adam Morton argues that evil occurs when internal, mental barriers against it simply break down. He also introduces us to some nightmare people, such as Adolf Eichmann and Hannibal Lecter, reminding us that understanding their actions as humans brings us closer to understanding evil.
Exciting and thought-provoking, On Evil is essential reading for anyone interested in a topic that attracts and repels us in equal measure.
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On Evil is a compelling and at times disturbing tour of the many faces of evil. What is evil, and what makes people do awful things? If we can explain evil, do we explain it away? Can we imagine the mind of a serial killer, or does such evil defy description? Does evil depend on a contrast with good, as religion tells us, or can there be evil for evil's sake?
Adam Morton argues that any account of evil must help us understand three things: why evil occurs; why evil often arises out of banal or everyday situations; and how we can be seen as evil. Drawing on fascinating examples as diverse as Augustine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, psychological studies of deviant behaviour and profiles of serial killers, Adam Morton argues that evil occurs when internal, mental barriers against it simply break down. He also introduces us to some nightmare people, such as Adolf Eichmann and Hannibal Lecter, reminding us that understanding their actions as humans brings us closer to understanding evil.
Exciting and thought-provoking, On Evil is essential reading for anyone interested in a topic that attracts and repels us in equal measure.
show more
Product details
- Paperback | 168 pages
- 129 x 198 x 6.6mm | 181g
- 01 Aug 2004
- Taylor & Francis Ltd
- ROUTLEDGE
- London, United Kingdom
- English
- 1 Line drawings, black and white
- 0415305195
- 9780415305198
- 1,169,575
Review Text
'This essay elucidates a picture of those who commit "evil" acts as lacking a mental "barrier" to stop them, using examples from recent history and pop-culture treatments from Buffy to Hannibal Lecter ... ' - Steven Poole, The Guardian 'It draws on a fascinating array of sources, from St. Augustine to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and brings in examples from contemporary fiction like Hannibal Lecter ... ' - The Daily Yomiuri
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Review quote
'This essay elucidates a picture of those who commit "evil" acts as lacking a mental "barrier" to stop them, using examples from recent history and pop-culture treatments from Buffy to Hannibal Lecter ... ' - Steven Poole, The Guardian
'It draws on a fascinating array of sources, from St. Augustine to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and brings in examples from contemporary fiction like Hannibal Lecter ... ' - The Daily Yomiuri
show more
'It draws on a fascinating array of sources, from St. Augustine to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and brings in examples from contemporary fiction like Hannibal Lecter ... ' - The Daily Yomiuri
show more
About Adam Morton
Adam Morton is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma.
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