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

terms tends to doubt that we are dealing with only one kind of

societal disease, thereby leading to a certain differentiation of

forms with regard to ethnological and historical conditions.

Differentiating the essence of such states is more appropriate to

the reasoning patterns we are familiar with from the natural

sciences. The complex conditions of social life, however, pre-

clude using the method of distinction, which is similar to etio-

logical criterion in medicine: qualitatively speaking, the phe-

nomena become layered in time, conditioning each other and

transforming constantly. We should then rather use certain

abstract patterns, similar to those used in analyzing the neurotic

states of human beings.

Governed by this type of reasoning, let us here attempt to

differentiate two pathological states of societies; their essence

and contents appear different enough, but they can operate

sequentially in such a way that the first opens the door to the

second. The first such state has already been sketched in the

chapter on the hysteroidal cycle; we shall adduce a certain

number of other psychological details hereunder. The next

chapter shall be dedicated to the second pathological state, for

which I have adopted the denomination of “pathocracy”.

States of Societal Hysterization

When perusing scientific or literary descriptions of hysteri-

cal phenomena, such as those dating from the last great in-

crease in hysteria in Europe encompassing the quarter-century

preceding World War I, a non-specialist may gain the impres-

sion that this was endemic to individual cases, particularly

among woman. The contagious nature of hysterical states,

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however, had already been discovered and described by Jean-

Martin Charcot87.

It is practically impossible for hysteria to manifest itself as a

mere individual phenomenon, since it is contagious by means

of psychological resonance, identification, and imitation. Each

human being has a predisposition for this malformation of the

personality, albeit to varying degrees, although it is normally

overcome by rearing and self-rearing, which are amenable to

correct thinking and emotional self-discipline.

During “happy times” of peace dependent upon social injus-

tice, children of the privileged classes learn to repress from

their field of consciousness the uncomfortable ideas suggesting

that they and their parents are benefitting from injustice against

others. Such young people learn to disqualify disparage the

moral and mental values of anyone whose work they are using

to over-advantage. Young minds thus ingest habits of subcon-

scious selection and substitution of data, which leads to a hys-

terical conversion economy of reasoning. They grow up to be

somewhat hysterical adults who, by means of the ways ad-

duced above, thereupon transmit their hysteria to the next gen-

eration, which then develops these characteristics to an even

greater degree. The hysterical patterns for experience and be-

havior grow and spread downwards from the privileged classes

until crossing the boundary of the first criterion of ponerology:

the atrophy of natural critical faculties with respect to patho-

logical individuals .

When the habits of subconscious selection and substitution

of thought-data spread to the macrosocial level, a society tends

87 Jean-Martin Charcot (1825 - 1893) French neurologist. His work greatly

impacted the developing fields of neurology and psychology. Charcot took an

interest in the malady then called hysteria. It seemed to be a mental disorder

with physical manifestations, of immediate interest to a neurologist. He

believed that hysteria was the result of a weak neurological system which

was hereditary. It could be set off by a traumatic event like an accident, but

was then progressive and irreversible. To study the hysterics under his care,

he learned the technique of hypnosis and soon became a master of the rela-

tively new "science." Charcot believed that a hypnotized state was very

similar to a bout of hysteria, and so he hypnotized his patients in order to

induce and study their symptoms. He was single-handedly responsible for

changing the French medical community's opinion about the validity of

hypnosis (it was previously rejected as Mesmerism). [Editor’s note.]

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

177

to develop contempt for factual criticism and to humiliate any-

one sounding an alarm. Contempt is also shown for other na-

tions which have maintained normal thought-patterns and for

their opinions. Egotistic thought-terrorization is accomplished

by the society itself and its processes of conversive thinking.

This obviates the need for censorship of the press, theater, or

broadcasting, as a pathologically hypersensitive censor lives

within the citizens themselves .

When three “egos” govern, egoism, egotism, and egocen-

trism, the feeling of social links and responsibility toward oth-

ers disappear, and the society in question splinters into groups

ever more hostile to each other. When a hysterical environment

stops differentiating the opinions of limited, not-quite-normal

people from those of normal, reasonable persons, this opens the

door for activation of the pathological factors of a various na-

ture to enter in.

Individuals we have already met who are governed by a

pathological view of reality and abnormal goals caused by their

different nature are able to develop their activities in such con-

ditions. If a given society does not manage to overcome the

state of hysterization under its ethnological and political cir-

cumstances, a huge bloody tragedy can be the result.

One variation of such a tragedy can be pathocracy. Thus,

minor setbacks in terms of political failure or military defeat

can be a warning in such a situation and may turn out to be a

blessing in disguise if properly understood and allowed to be-

come a factor in the regeneration of a society’s normal thought

patterns and customs. The most valuable advice a ponerologist

can offer under such circumstances is for a society to avail

itself of the assistance of modern science , taking particular

advantage of data remaining from the last great increase of

hysteria in Europe.

A greater resistance to hysterization characterizes those so-

cial groups which earn their daily bread by daily effort, and

where the practicalities of everyday life force the mind to think

soberly and reflect on generalities. As an example: peasants

continue to view the hysterical customs of the well-to-do

classes through their own earthy perception of psychological

reality and their sense of humor. Similar customs on the part of

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the bourgeoisie incline workers to bitter criticism and revolu-

tionary anger. Whether couched in economic, ideological, or

political terms, the criticism and demands of these social

groups always contain a component of psychological, moral,

and anti-hysterical motivation. For this reason, it is most ap-

propriate to consider these demands with deliberation and take

these classes’ feelings into account. On the other hand, tragic

results can derive from thoughtless action paving the way for

spellbinders to make themselves heard.

Ponerology

Ponerology utilizes the scientific progress of the last dec-