What social, political, and interpersonal dynamics create opportunities for despots to take and maintain control. Please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Ever since world war ii, social scientists have recognized the crucial importance of these questions. The psychology of dictatorship based on an examination of the leaders of nazi germany. Acknowledgments introduction psychology and dictatorship. The psychology of dictatorship stanford humanities. In yemen, president ali abdullah saleh has refused to step down despite months of unrest that has intensified into near civil war this week. The discipline of psychology has studied the psychology of the masses and what follows when a. Belaruss alexander lukashenko is among the worlds most dangerous dictators. First, there is the direct threat posed by dictatorships large e. In the first chapter, the author offers two definitions of dictatorship. The psychology of dictatorship based on an examination. Meanwhile, venezuelas hugo chavez is a freedomfighter turned dictator.
Search below to view digital records and find material that you can access at our library and at the shapell center. His 1950 book the psychology of dictatorship was an attempt to profile the nazi german dictator adolf hitler using as reference the testimonials of hitlers closest generals and commanders. His principal argument drew heavily on the work of erich fromm, who maintained that hitlerism was the product of the social and economic anxieties of a people long used to order. He returned to iran in 1979 and was researching there during the hostage taking crisis and the early years of the iran iraq war. V isser, and j oshua h arder if social psychology s goal is to understand how people interact with and influence one another, the domain of politics offers a wonderful context in which to develop and test basic theory. His most recent books include the psychology of dictatorship 20, psychology for the third millenium 2012, with rom harre, and the new global insecurity 2010. The psychology of dictatorship written by georgetown professor fathali m. Fathali moghaddam discusses the psychological conditions which can springboard a potential dictator to power. Syrian autocrat bashar alassad has killed more than 1,000 of his own people in an effort to quash protests. Let them eat moocs massive open online courses low facultystudent ratios for the rich kids.
Moghaddam, 9781433812989, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Dictators often come to power in times of difficulty, such as massive unemployment, inflation, and unrest among the population dictators are normally backed by powerful. Fathali moghaddam professor of psychology department of psychology, georgetown university. Can psychology deliver us from the hitlers of the world. The psychology of dictatorship american psychological. The psychology of dictatorship by moghaddam, fathali m washington, dc. The effect of power on the mind of the man who possesses it, especially when he has gained it by successful aggression, tends to be remarkably similar in every age and in every country.
Moghaddam presents his springboard model of dictatorship, derived from both a substantive analysis of the common structures underlying dictatorial regimes and his own personal experience of life in a modern dictatorship. Dictators wield total control and the power of life and death, yet they are prone to anxiety, paranoia, and feelings of defensiveness and. Perhaps the most straightforward way to think about dictators psychology is to say that they are psychopaths. Fathali m moghaddam how do countries become dictatorships. Power, fear, and anxiety 1,225 likes seth davin norrholm, ph. The question is, why do all these guys fight so hard. A new book by psychology professor fathali moghaddam says crisis incidents have the potential to turn a democracy into a dictatorship, even in a country like america. Working with these partners enables to extend its commitment to its mission. A few months ago, i was approached by a nonprofit human rights organization to create a presentation on the mind of a dictatoran especially compelling issue. This book presents the springboard model of dictatorship, derived from both a substantive analysis of the common structures underlying dictatorial regimes and. March 4, 20 dictatorships emerge when leaders use an event to springboard to power, according to a forthcoming book by fathali moghaddam new window, professor of psychology, called the psychology of dictatorship.
Psychology and the springboard model of dictatorship. A dictatorship is a form of government where one person or political party has the power to do whatever they want. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. The psychology of dictatorship and democracy department of. In recent years, comparative scholars have shown a renewed interest in such regimes, which has resulted.
Gustave mark gilbert september 30, 1911 february 6, 1977 was an american psychologist best known for his writings containing observations of highranking nazi leaders during the nuremberg trials. The museums collections document the fate of holocaust victims, survivors, rescuers, liberators, and others through artifacts, documents, photos, films, books, personal stories, and more. The psychology of dictatorship based on an examination of. Dictatorship simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. We learn from history that time does little to alter the psychology of dictatorship. Dictatorship, not democracy, has been the norm for human societies since over the last 12,000 years, when more complex human settlements began, and our psychological characteristics have largely evolved within this. Gilbert responded to his critics in the psychology of dictatorship 1950, a more academically ambitious book.
Moghaddam, phd, is a professor in the department of psychology and the director of the conflict resolution program, department of government at georgetown university. This button opens a dialog that displays additional images for this product with the option to zoom in or out. Moghaddam was born in iran, educated from an early age in england, and worked for the united nations and for mcgill university before joining georgetown in 1990. Dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. The psychological underpinnings of political behavior j on a. Dictatorship, displacement of aggression, and group cohesion.
As long as there have been political dictators, psychologists have been fascinated with them. Muammar gaddafi continues to hold tightly to power even as nato bombs rain down on tripoli. In a dictatorship, the individuals rights are generally speaking, suppressed. All the donations received, as well as 100% of revenue in 2020, will be contributed to build, develop, and further the understanding, investigation, discovery, and treatment of the full spectrum of anxiety and related disorders. The psychology of dictatorship and democracy department. This is a reasonable, but perhaps imperfect, descriptor. Devotees are there to cheer, identify, arrest, torture, and kill innumerable individuals as a sign of their loyalty to their leader.
Moghaddam is an iranian psychologist, professor of psychology at georgetown university and director of the interdisciplinary program in cognitive science icos, department of government, georgetown university. The first definition is made in an opposition to another concept. A look into the psychology of dictators butterflies and. The psychological underpinnings of political behavior. The psychology of dictatorship hamid and christina. The psychology of dictatorship based on an examination of the leaders of nazi germany book.
In spite of centuries of political development, dictatorial and repressive leaders continue to emerge and rule in countries throughout the world, including in established democracies. A dictatorship is a form of government characterized by the rule of one person or a small group of people who have no checks and balances on their power. In other words, the more devoted they are, the more dictatorial. Major crises can turn democracies into dictatorships, book. He discusses the importance of psychological processes such as displacement of aggression. Every human group has potential dictators potential dictators where we work, in our families but what they lack is the. Dictatorship definition of dictatorship by merriamwebster. Combining the results from both studies, coolidge and segal hypothesized a big six constellation of personality disorders that may commonly reflect the personalities of dictators more generally. Moghaddam presents his springboard model of dictatorship, derived from both a substantive analysis of the common structures underlying dictatorial regimes. In political science, an emotional dictatorship is a type of government rule by a single individual, where all laws and regulations are subject to the. The cias secret psychological profiles of dictators and world leaders are amazing psychoanalyzing strongmen, from castro to saddam.
The psychology of dictatorship 1979 edition open library. He is a tenured professor of socialpersonality psychology here at ubc, vancouver. Dictators usually resort to force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of. In spite of centuries of political development, dictatorial and. The cias secret psychological profiles of dictators and.
628 680 15 1287 1436 400 257 149 1314 1192 953 1043 47 1331 617 407 850 1092 762 1099 708 965 894 288 1304 883 159 1173 1249