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LINK Moral Zealotry and the Seductive Nature of Evil - Quillette

FTA:

Ideology—that is what gives evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination. That is the social theory which helps to make his acts seem good instead of bad in his own and others’ eyes, so that he won’t hear reproaches and curses but will receive praise and honors. That is how the agents of the Inquisition fortified their wills: by invoking Christianity; the conquerors of foreign lands, by extolling the grandeur of their Motherland; the colonizers, civilization; the Nazis, by race; the Jacobins (early and late), by equality, brotherhood and the happiness of future generations.

He could have added, “…jihadists, by the glory of a new Caliphate.”

zblaze 7 Mar 16
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4 comments

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1

Good article.

2

I don't see "ideology" as inherently having a negative connotation. All the word means is "a system of ideas". You can have good or bad systems. Also, archaically, the word used to mean "the science of ideas, the study of the nature and origin of ideas".

There's no question, however, that the world has a surfeit of bad ideas, including those listed in the post.

2

"the conquerors of foreign lands, by extolling the grandeur of their Motherland;"
that sounds fairly familiar in recent decades.
"bringing democracy" to a bombed out country after installing their own dictator is another way of putting it.

1

it has fueled many causes

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