The optimism of modern medicine has roots in the Enlightenment, which in turn is rooted in the worldview of classical antiquity: what we call evil is a form of ignorance; it is not rooted in human nature. In this, it is remarkably similar to Confucianism. The Chinese philosopher Mencius (Meng Zi, about 372 to 289 BCE) used a parable to propose that all men are by nature good unless they are deformed. A murderer sees an infant tottering on the edge of a pond. However vicious his murders may have been, he will instinctively pull the child back to save it from drowning. This leaves out two alternative scenarios. The murderer may be a sadist who enjoys watching children drown. Or he may only have concern for children of his own tribe; but the child may belong to the enemy tribe beyond the river.
We started out with the question of how human beings can commit horrible atrocities. Given what biological science can tell us about aggression it is not an inevitable instinct (something, say, similar to the Christian doctrine of original sin), nor simply a deformation of an originally benign human nature (as Enlightenment philosophers thought). Human nature, whatever it is, allows human beings to love and to kill. Religion can induce individuals to do either. Both benevolence and hatred can be learned and taught. Thus I think that we started out with the wrong question. We should have asked: How can it be that horrible atrocities are not committed continuously, all the time? Put differently: How can one sustain a decent society? The answer is that there must be institutions that inculcate decency rather than triggering murderous impulses.
The news this morning is the good guys, who we are supposed to apologize to, beheaded 4 teenagers yesterday for refusing to recant Christianity. After we apologize to them, I assume we then kill them with a drone?
Wow, I did not know the people we had tortured were now out killing children. Did they escape or did we let them go? How did we find out the people we had tortured are the ones who killed these 4 children?
None, but our behaviour is being used by the unscrupulous to radicalise them. It is a battle for hearts and minds as Sir Robert Thompson knew:
The closest analogy I have read for the mentality of youngsters who have joined ISIS is that they think they are helping found Camelot, the Caliphate, or see themselves as Jedi Warriors. We need to have a counter narrative, which shows that they are following a false narrative, one where we act on principles and leave clear blue water between our narrative and the cruel, wicked and lawless one they are being sold.
It is counter-terrorism 101.
Thanks Mitchell. Of course its ok if we didn’t torture them. but you seem to miss the Obama irony; that water boarding is morally reprehenpensable but using Hellfire missiles on any and everyone is OK. The general recation of the American people concerning both is “ho hum”. Most are only mad at The Democrats.