Education against Dehumanization: Radical

Change in Approach to Peace Education

Olek Netzer, Ph.D.Independent Researcher, Activist and Dissident

Tel Aviv, Israel

Hello, I'm Olek Netzer. I truly regret not being able to be with you in person.

In the field of Peace and War studies I discovered Blind Areas in social cognition, without which self-

justification of dehumanized attitudes would be impossible.

This discovery could Change the World of conflict

I was able to make it taking the Direct Causation ApproachDirect Causation Approach in contrast to the predominant Multiple Causation

Approach

Direct Causation ApproachThe Direct Causation Approach won't ask

"What were the causes for the 9/11 terrorist attack?" – The causes were

evident: The perpetrators believed in doing it, were perfectly conscious of

consequences and convinced they were doing the Right Moral Godly Heroic thing.

RESEARCH QUESTIONHOW COULD THEY?

How can normal people commit even the most horrifying acts of idiocy, atrocity, injustice, terror, without

running into an intolerable conflict, Cognitive Dissonance with their own

highest values of Sanity, Truth, Morality, Justice?!

Research ProcessMonitoring Israeli Media 1979-1999 for patterns of thinking about the country's

War and Conflicts

Blind Areas make self-justification possible by

DEHUMANIZATIONof both Self and others who are by that

excludedfrom one’s moral consideration

DISCOVERY: BLIND AREASThe Cognitive Maps of Fanatics contain Blind AreasBlind Areas

that cover their own human limitations like the possibility of being as susceptible to sin, error,

misjudgment and Evil as any human. Blind AreasBlind Areas also obscure the vision of human reality in

the enemies – their individuality, individual differences, change, good qualities, and more.

See the Blind Areas covering Oneself and one’s In-group ’WE’

1. The fact that ‘WE’ (the Nation, the People, the Country, the State) is an abstract term and that in reality only individual human beings exist

2. The dangers of herd-mentality, of too much collective identification and too little individual self-identity.

3. The possibility of having too much national pride and of feeling, unjustifiably, superior to others

4. The possibility WE might not be right, or not entirely right, in our conflict with “THEM”

5. Fear of sinning with regard to THEM; the possibility that we were in some instances as guilty as THEM or as some other nations, or that we could sin against THEM now or in the future

6. The possibility that WE lose the war --------------------------… ponder ….------------------------------

Fanatics of war-conflict-hatred would not spontaneously express evidence of AWARENESS of any of the Blind Areas listed above

SIMPLY: If they WERE AWARE of their human limitations, dangers of not being right,

the natural possibility that they might be wrong; aware of their moral obligation to avoid sin and error - they could not be FANATICAL =

DEHUMANIZE OTHERS.

THE TASK OF PEACE EDUCATION WOULD BE TO MAKE THEM AWARE!

See the Blind Areas covering ‘THEM’ – the Out-group1. Their humanity; the fact that each one of them is as human a being as

each one of us 2. Their individuality, the differences between each one of THEM and others3. The possibility that THEY could change and become less belligerent. 4. Their good qualities and achievements as a group 5. The possibility that there is, or could be, some justice on their side of the

conflict with us. *********************

Fanatics of war-conflict-hatred would not spontaneously express evidence of AWARENESS of any of the Blind Areas listed above

SIMPLY :

If they WERE AWARE of the fact that the others are not ‘THEM’ but human beings as themselves, individuals, each unique and different and all equal to us in their human rights to be treated justly each according to her or his behaviour - they could not be FANATICAL = DEHUMANIZE OTHERS.

THE TASK OF PEACE EDUCATION WOULD BE TO MAKE THEM AWARE!

Blind Areas make fanatics of conflict unaware of human reality.

How DO they see the world of conflict? How do they reason?

THUS:

WE ALWAYS GOOD-RIGHT THEM ALWAYS BAD-GUILTY

Evidence that is not in harmony with this fantastic view falls into a Blind Area. Whatever does reach awareness rolls along

fixed channels of reasoning called Patterned Beliefs to the conclusion that ‘YES, in this case too WE were right and THEY

were guilty!’

How do they see themselves?‘WE’ - Patterned Beliefs

1. We are better\ superior to others 2. We are brave fighters, patriots 3. The common good is the supreme value, individual good is less valued; war, blood, death, victims, are not just means to secure human life values but values in themselves 4. We are right (always), in victory or in defeat; we are never the aggressors but act in self-defense, take preventive measures, obey God’s command, retaliate, etc.5. We shall be victorious if we stay faithful to our collective values.

How do they see ‘THEM’?THEY -- Patterned Beliefs

1. THEY are bad by nature: savages, animals, idolaters, sub-human, inferior race, inferior culture (snake-eaters, frog-eaters, dog-eaters, pig-eaters, etc.).

2. Negative stereotypes: THEM are stupid, dirty, lazy, thieves, cheaters, kidnappers of children, seducers of women, blood-suckers, etc.

3. THEY hate us: They are fanatics, nationalistic, fundamentalist, etc.4. THEY are the villains: threaten us, do acts of cruelty and horror, want

to conquer us, subjugate us, destroy\annihilate us; take our lands, jobs, women; contaminate us with disease and crime, etc.

5. THEY understand nothing but force. THEY take advantage of our conciliatory moves that THEY interpret as weakness.

More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized Blind AreasBlind Areas

How do fanatics of War reason Strategy?Their Blind Areas Cover:

1. The possibility that the best tactics in certain situations is not using force but making a reconciliatory gesture.

2. The expected results of using force: violence breeds violence and motivation to retaliate; the victims, dangers, suffering, and terrible price of making war.

Therefore they’d be Blind to see what these leaders saw:

More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized Patterned BeliefsPatterned Beliefs

How do they reason StrategyStrategy?Their Patterned Beliefs:

1. Only force: (popular cliché: 'Until they’ve learned their lesson'.2. Not using force is weakness (THEY interpret it as weakness).3. If force does not help more force should be used.4. If force had not helped somebody else is to be blamed, not 'WE'.

More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized Blind AreasBlind Areas

How do they reason their MORALITY?Their Blind Areas Cover:

The moral obligation itself: measuring whatever WE do to THEM and whatever THEY do to us with the same yardstick

The danger of sinning against THEM; the possibility that what WE do unto THEM would be as bad as what THEY do unto us

The personal duty of moral conduct in relation to THEM, and the fact that there is no moral judgment other than that of individuals like oneself

The fact that “Means” and “Goals” exist only as abstract concepts in our mind and that in reality only individuals like ourselves can justify or not justify anything

The possibility that morality is power; that behaving morally WE are strengthened and behaving immorally WE are weakened

Therefore they’d be blind to see what these leaders saw

More Examples of Fanatical-Dehumanized

Patterned BeliefsPatterned BeliefsHow do they reason How do they reason MORALITYMORALITY

1. All that WE do to THEM in the conflict is moral (“Everything is moral which is necessary for the annihilation of the old exploiting social order and for uniting the proletariat” - Lenin.)

2. “An eye for eye”: the same immoral deed of THEM against us becomes moral as retaliation or revenge.

3. Morality in matters of state is the business of the state, not of the individual.

4. There is no morality--should be no morality--in the war with THEM, only interests of power and survival of the fittest.

5. Might is Right.6. The Aim justifies the Means.

APLICATION IN EDUCATION

THE DEHUMANIZATION SYNDROME

IS THE TOOL TO WORK WITHIt is the list of Symptoms of Dehumanization which are

the

BLIND AREAS and PATTERNED BELIEFSEducators and their students need to know it

in order to clearly identify the symptoms of Dehumanizationin texts and expression people

including their people, relatives and friendsincluding themselves…

*

Blind Areas and Patterned Beliefs of the Dehumanization Syndromeare organized under 10 headings:

WE * THEM * BLEEDING HEARTS * DEVIANTS * CAPTIVESLEADER * STRATEGY * OTHER NATIONS * MORALITY * TIME

(The Dehumanization Syndrome tool is available free from the author)

TEACHING PROCESSESLearning to identify Patterned Beliefs in narratives

EXAMPLETeaching History, a contemporary source on the Sack of

Constantinople by the Crusaders (April 11,1204) ... Then the bishops preached to the army… and they showed

to the pilgrims that the war was a righteous one; for the Greeks were traitors and murderers, and also disloyal, since they had murdered their rightful lord, and were worse than Jews. Then the bishops said that they ought not to hesitate to attack the Greeks, for the latter were enemies of God.

Which ideas of the bishops in the text fit the Patterned Beliefs of

Dehumanization ?•… the war was a righteous one (WE are Right)•…the Greeks were traitors and murderers, disloyal, worse than Jews (THEY are Bad/Guilty(•,,,they ought not to hesitate to attack.. (WE are Brave Warriors)•...the latter were enemies of God (THEY are Bad/Guilty(

TEACHING PROCESSESLearning to identify awareness to Blind Areas in texts

EXAMPLE Teaching History, a contemporary source on the Capture of the city

of Acre by the Crusaders (1191)

When these arrangements for the city's surrender were made known (…) the ignorant mob was inflamed with anger. The wiser men, however, were filled with a not unmerited joy, because they had obtained expeditiously and without danger the aim which they had previously been unable to obtain for such a long time.On this critical day the probity of these Turks was admirable, as was their great bravery, for they were most vigorous in

military enterprises, distinguished in their magnificence … .Although extreme necessity had just vanquished them, reducing them almost to beggary, the defeated men who emerged were not broken up by gnawing worry nor dejected by the loss of their possessions… Their lying, superstitious cult, however, had perverted their powers as men.

Can you identify any evidence of AWARENESS on part of the Narrator of any of the Blind Areas?

(marked in the text BLUE(

INTERACTIVE PROCESSES IN A CLASSROOM

REFERING TO A KNOWN PATTERNED BELIEF

‘What you just said fits the “They All Hate Us” Patterned Belief, doesn’t it? Would you like to comment on this?’

AVOID ARGUMENT

Arguing with a fanatically prejudiced person is like arguing with a Computer. It was so programmed that

the relevant Data Base of Humanness is not included, but buried in an inaccessible file of BLIND

AREAS

INTERACTIVE PROCESSES IN A CLASSROOM

ASKING OPEN QUESTIONSOPEN QUESTIONS ABOUT REALITIES HIDDEN IN BLIND AREASPROMPT: ‘We should kill them until they’ve learned their lesson’

SOME POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

• They are human beings like you and me; Who it is exactly that you want to kill?”

• You know, among them must be good and intelligent boys exactly like you. Do you believe we should kill one such boy like you?

• Do you think, is it possible that they are killing us to teach us a lesson? What lesson did you learn from that?...

• Can killing teach anyone a lesson other than hating you even more and striking back?

• Have you lately met with a person or an idea that you felt was not fair to ‘Them’, not just or too extreme? Please tell me about it...

• Have you ever considered the danger that we might became wrong and guilty in fighting them as they are in fighting us?

• What would YOU do to prevent it?

PROGNOSIS1. If, beginning at the age of identity-forming,

Dehumanization (‘Social Evil’) were integrated into the basic coordinates of people's identity and social

orientation - to what extent the society would be freed from PREJUDICEPREJUDICE and racial-ethnic

DISCRIMINATIONDISCRIMINATION? To what extent would WARWAR be regarded as an option

for resolving conflicts in a society well informed and used to detect the characteristic Blind Areas and Patterned Beliefs of dehumanized irrationality?

2.Would application of the Dehumanization Theory in education affect politics and society?

IT WILL, but that claim needs to be validated by teachers and educators like YOU who would

have the resolve to put it to test in Your practice

Thank You for listening Contact: olek.netzer134@gmail.com