Andrew Lobaczewski - Political Ponerology - A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes

individuals and societies by preventing persons with the above

deviations, or certain characteristics to be discussed below,

from any societal functions wherein the fate of other people

would depend upon their behavior. This of course applies pri-

marily to top governmental positions. Such questions should be

dealt with by an appropriate institution composed of people

with a reputation for wisdom and with medical and psychologi-

cal training.

The features of brain-tissue lesions and their character dis-

order results are much easier to detect than certain inherited

anomalies. Thus, stifling ponerogenic processes by removing

these factors from the process of the synthesis of evil is effec-

tive during the early phases of such genesis, and much easier in

practice.

Inherited Deviations

Science already protects societies from the results of some

physiological anomalies which are accompanied by certain

psychological weaknesses. The tragic role played by hereditary

hemophilia among European royalty is well known. Responsi-

ble people in countries where the system of monarchy still

survives, are anxious not to allow a carrier of such a gene to

become queen. Any society exercising so much concern over

individuals with blood-coagulation insufficiency or other seri-

ous and life-threatening pathology would protest if a man af-

flicted with such a condition were appointed to a high office

bearing responsibility for many people. This behavior model

should be extended to many pathologies, including inherited

psychological anomalies.

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

121

Daltonists, men with an impaired ability to distinguish red

and green colors from grey, are now barred from professions in

which this could cause a catastrophe. We also know that this

anomaly is often accompanied by a decrease in esthetic experi-

ence, emotions, and the feeling of linkage to people who can

see colors normally. Industrial psychologists are thus cautious

whether such a person should be entrusted with work requiring

dependence upon an autonomic sense of responsibility, as

workers safety is contingent upon this sense.

It was discovered long ago that these two above-mentioned

anomalies – hemophilia and color blindness - are inherited by

means of a gene located in the X chromosome, and tracking

their transmission through many generations is not difficult.

Geneticists have similarly studied the inheritance of many

other features of human organisms, but they have paid scant

attention to the anomalies interesting us here. Many features of

human character have a hereditary bases in genes located in the

same X chromosome; although it is not a rule. Something simi-

lar could apply to the majority of the psychological anomalies

to be discussed below.

Significant progress has recently been made in cognition of

a series of chromosomal anomalies resulting from defective

division of the reproductive cells and their phenotypic psycho-

logical symptoms. This state of affairs enables us to initiate

studies on their ponerogenetic role and to introduce conclu-

sions which are theoretically valuable, something which is in

effect already being done. In practice, however, the majority of

chromosomal anomalies are not transferred to the next genera-

tion; furthermore, their carriers constitute a very small propor-

tion of the population at large, and their general intelligence is

lower than the social average, so their ponerological role is

even smaller than their statistical distribution. Most problems

are caused by the XYY karyotype47 which produces men who

are tall, strong, and emotionally violent, with an inclination to

collide with the law. These engendered tests and discussions,

but their role at the level studied herein is also very small.

47 Sandberg, A. A.; Koepf, G. F.; Ishihara, T.; Hauschka, T. S. (August 26,

1961) “An XYY human male”. Lancet 2, 488-9.

122

PONEROLOGY

Much more numerous are those psychological deviations

which play a correspondingly greater role as pathological fac-

tors in the ponerological processes; they are most probably

transmitted through normal heredity. However, this realm of

genetics in particular is faced with manifold biological and

psychological difficulties as far as recognizing these phenom-

ena. People studying their psychopathology lack biological

isolation criteria. Biologists lack clear psychological differen-

tiation of such phenomena which would permit studies of he-

redity mechanics and some other properties.

At the time most of the observations on which this book is

based were being done, the works of many researchers who

have since shed light upon many aspects of the matters dis-

cussed herein, during the latter half of the sixties, were either

nonexistent or unavailable. Scientists studying the phenomena

described below were hacking their way through a thicket of

symptoms based on previous works and on their own efforts.

An understanding of the essence of some of these hereditary

anomalies and their ponerogenic role proved a necessary pre-

condition for reaching the primary goal. Results were gleaned

which served as a basis for further reasoning. For the sake of

the overall picture, and because the manner elaborated also

brings in certain theoretical values, I decided to retain the

methodology of description for such anomalies which emerged

from my own work and from that of others at the time.

Numerous scientists during the above-mentioned fertile era,

and some subsequent scientists, such as R. Jenkins, H.

Cleckley, S.K. Ehrlich, K.C. Gray, H.C. Hutchison, F. Kraupl

Taylor, and others did cast more stereoscopic light upon the

matter. They were clinicians, concentrating their attention upon

the more demonstrative cases which play a lesser role in the

processes of the genesis of evil , in accordance with the above-

mentioned general rule of ponerology. We therefore need to

differentiate those analogic states which are less intense or

contain less of a psychological deficit. Equally valuable for

ponerology are inquiries concerning the nature of the phenom-

ena under discussion, which facilitate differentiation of their

essence and analysis of their role as pathological factors in the

genesis of evil.

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

123

~~~

Schizoidia : Schizoidia, or schizoidal psychopathy, was iso-

lated by the very first of the famous creators of modern psy-

chiatry.48 From the beginning, it was treated as a lighter form

of the same hereditary taint which is the cause of susceptibility

to schizophrenia. However, this latter connection could neither

be confirmed nor denied with the help of statistical analysis,

and no biological test was then found which would have been

able to solve this dilemma. For practical reasons, we shall dis-

cuss schizoidia with no further reference to this traditional

relationship.

Literature provides us with descriptions of several varieties

of this anomaly, whose existence can be attributed either to

changes in the genetic factor or to differences in other individ-

ual characteristics of a non-pathological nature. Let us thus

sketch these sub-species’ common features.

Carriers of this anomaly are hypersensitive and distrustful,

while, at the same time, pay little attention to the feelings of