Ethics in an age of terror and genocide : identity and moral choice / Kristen Renwick Monroe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Monroe, Kristen Renwick, 1946-

Series:

Pt. 1. the puzzle -- Introduction -- The Holocaust and genocide -- Pt. 2. a study in contrasts -- Tony : rescuer -- Beatrix : bystander -- Kurt : soldier for the nazis -- Fritz : Nazi propagandist -- Florentine : unrepentant political Nazi -- Pt. 3. cracking the code -- The political psychology of genocide -- A theory of moral choice -- Conclusion : the psychology of difference.

Pt. 1. the puzzle -- Introduction -- The Holocaust and genocide -- Pt. 2. a study in contrasts -- Tony : rescuer -- Beatrix : bystander -- Kurt : soldier for the nazis -- Fritz : Nazi propagandist -- Florentine : unrepentant political Nazi -- Pt. 3. cracking the code -- The political psychology of genocide -- A theory of moral choice -- Conclusion : the psychology of difference

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Terrorism--Moral and ethical aspects.

Terrorism.

Terrorism--Moral and ethical aspects--Case studies.

Genocide--Moral and ethical aspects.

Genocide.

Genocide--Moral and ethical aspects--Case studies.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 437 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [2012]

Summary:

What causes genocide? Why do some stand by, doing nothing, while others risk their lives to help the persecuted? Ethics in an Age of Terror and Genocide analyzes riveting interviews with bystanders, Nazi supporters, and rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust to lay bare critical psychological forces operating during genocide. Monroe's insightful; examination of these moving - and disturbing - interviews underscores the significance of identity for moral choice.

Monroe finds that self-image and identity - especially the sense of self in relation to others - determine and delineate our choice options, not just morally but cognitively. She introduces the concept of moral salience to explain how we establish a critical psychological relationship with others, classifying individuals in need as "people just like us" or reducing them to strangers perceived as different, threatening, or even beyond the boundaries of our concern. Monroe explicates the psychological dehumanization that is a prerequisite for genocide and uses her knowledge of human behavior during the Holocaust to develop a broader theory of moral choice, one applicable to other forms of ethnic, religious, racial, and sectarian prejudice, aggression, and violence. Her book fills a long-standing void in ethics and suggests that identity is more fundamental than reasoning in our treatment of others. ' Book jacket.

Contents:

Pt. 1. the puzzle

Introduction

The Holocaust and genocide

Pt. 2. a study in contrasts

Tony : rescuer

Beatrix : bystander

Kurt : soldier for the Nazis

Fritz : Nazi propagandist

Florentine : unrepentant political Nazi

Pt. 3. cracking the code

The political psychology of genocide

A theory of moral choice

Conclusion : the psychology of difference

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780691151373

0691151377

9780691151434

0691151431

OCLC:

705568496