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

ponerogenic a union which was founded in the name of some

idea with an independent social meaning, generally

comprehensible within the categories of the natural world view,

but which later succumbed to a certain moral degeneration.

This in turn opened the door to infection and activation of the

pathological factors within, and later to a ponerization of the

group as a whole, or often of its fraction.

From the very outset, a primarily ponerogenic union is a

foreign body within the organism of society, its character col-

liding with the moral values held or respected by the majority.

The activities of such groups provoke opposition and disgust

and are considered immoral; as a rule, therefore, such groups

do not spread large, nor do they metastasize into numerous

unions; they finally lose their battle with society.

In order to have a chance to develop into a large ponero-

genic association, however, it suffices that some human orga-

nization, characterized by social or political goals and an ideol-

ogy with some creative value, be accepted by a larger number

of normal people before it succumbs to a process of ponero-

genic malignancy. The primary tradition and ideological values

of such a society may then, for a long time, protect a union

which has succumbed to the ponerization process from the

awareness of society, especially its less critical components.

When the ponerogenic process touches such a human organiza-

tion, which originally emerged and acted in the name of politi-

cal or social goals, and whose causes were conditioned in his-

tory and the social situation, the original group’s primary val-

ues will nourish and protect such a union, in spite of the fact

that those primary values succumb to characteristic degenera-

tion, the practical function becoming completely different from

the primary one, because the names and symbols are retained.

This is where the weaknesses of individual and social “com-

mon sense” are revealed.76

76 Just because a group operates under the banner of “communism” or “so-

cialism” or “democracy” or “conservatism” or “republicanism”, doesn’t mean

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This is reminiscent of a situation psychopathologists know

well: a person who enjoyed trust and respect in their circles

starts behaving with preposterous arrogance and hurting others,

allegedly in the name of his already known, decent and ac-

cepted convictions, which have – in the meantime - deterio-

rated due to some psychological process rendering them primi-

tive but emotionally dynamic. However, his old acquaintances

– having known him for long as the person he was - do not

believe the injured parties who complain about his new, or

even hidden, behavior, and are prepared to denigrate them and

consider them liars. This adds insult to their injury and gives

encouragement and license to the individual whose personality

is undergoing deterioration, to commit further hurtful acts; as a

rule, such a situation lasts until the person’s madness becomes

obvious.

Ponerogenic unions of the primary variety are mainly of in-

terest to criminology; our main concern will be associations

that succumb to a secondary process of poneric malignancy.

First, however, let us sketch a few properties of such associa-

tions which have already surrendered to this process.

Within each ponerogenic union, a psychological structure is

created which can be considered a counterpart or caricature of

the normal structure of society or a normal societal organiza-

tion. In a normal social organization, individuals with various

psychological strengths and weaknesses complement each

other’s talents and characteristics. This structure is subjected to

diachronic77 modification with regard to changes in the charac-

ter of the association as whole. The same is true of a ponero-

genic union. Individuals with various psychological aberrations

also complement each other’s talents and characteristics.

The earlier phase of a ponerogenic union’s activity is usu-

ally dominated by characteropathic, particularly paranoid, indi-

viduals, who often play an inspirational or spellbinding role in

the ponerization process. Recall here the power of the paranoid

characteropath lies in the fact that they easily enslave less criti-

cal minds, e.g. people with other kinds of psychological defi-

that, in practice, their functions are anything close to the original ideology.

[Editor’s note.]

77 Over time; employing a chronological perspective. [Editor’s note.]

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ciencies, or who have been victims of individuals with charac-

ter disorders, and, in particular, a large segment of young peo-

ple.

At this point in time, the union still exhibits certain roman-

tic features and is not yet characterized by excessively brutal

behavior.78 Soon, however, the more normal members are

pushed into fringe functions and are excluded from organiza-

tional secrets; some of them thereupon leave such a union.

Individuals with inherited deviations then progressively take

over the inspirational and leadership positions. The role of

essential psychopaths gradually grows, although they like to

remain ostensibly in the shadows (e.g. directing small groups),

setting the pace as an éminence grise.79 In ponerogenic unions

on the largest social scales, the leadership role is generally

played by a different kind of individual, one more easily di-

gestible and representative. Examples include frontal charac-

teropathy, or some more discreet complex of lesser taints.

A spellbinder at first simultaneously plays the role of leader

in a ponerogenic group. Later there appears another kind of

“leadership talent”, a more vital individual who often joined

the organization later, once it has already succumbed to poneri-

zation. The spellbinding individual, being weaker, is forced to

come to terms with being shunted into the shadows and recog-

nizing the new leader’s “genius”, or accept the threat of total

failure. Roles are parceled out. The spellbinder needs support

from the primitive but decisive leader, who in turn needs the

spellbinder to uphold the association’s ideology, so essential in

maintaining the proper attitude on the part of those members of

the rank and file who betray a tendency to criticism and doubt

of the moral variety.

The spellbinder’s job then becomes to repackage the ideol-

ogy appropriately, sliding new contents in under old titles, so

78 An example would be a paranoid character who believes himself to be a

Robin Hood type character with a “mission” to “rob from the rich and give to

the poor”. This can easily transform to “rob from anyone to gain for the self”

under the cover of “social injustice against us makes it right”. [Editor’s note.]

79 A powerful advisor or decision-maker who operates secretly or otherwise

unofficially. This phrase originally referred to Cardinal Richelieu’s right-

hand man, François Leclerc du Tremblay, a Capuchin priest who wore gray

robes. [Editor’s note.]

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that it can continue fulfilling its propaganda function under

ever-changing conditions. He also has to uphold the leader’s

mystique inside and outside the association. Complete trust