Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes

people raised indifferent to faith. The old religion, dominated

by tradition, ritual, and insincerity, now becomes transformed

into faith, conditioned by necessary studies and convictions

which determine behavioral criteria.

Anyone reading the Gospel during such times finds some-

thing that is hard to understand for other Christians. So real is

the similarity between the social relations, there under the gov-

ernment of ancient pagan Rome, and these under the atheistic

pathocracy, that the reader imagines the situations described

more easily and senses the reality of occurrences more vividly.

Such reading also furnishes him with encouragement and ad-

vice which he can use in his situations. Thus, during brutal

times of confrontation with evil, human capabilities of dis-

criminating phenomena become subtler; apperceptive and

moral sensibility develops. Critical faculties sometimes border

with cynicism.

~~~

“I once got into a mountain-bound bus full of young high-

school and university students. During the trip, song filled the

vehicle and the neighboring hills. Old prewar songs both witty

and frivolous Le"mian’s110 poems: ‘Our ancestor Noah was a

brave man...’, and others. The text, however, had been cor-

109 “To understand all is to forgive all.”

110 Boles"aw Le#mian (born Boles"aw Lesman; 18781-1937) was a Polish

poet, artist and member of the Polish Academy of Literature. He was one of

the most influential poets of the early 20th century in Poland.[Editor’s note.]

250

NORMAL PEOPLE UNDER PATHOCRATIC RULE

rected with humor and literary talent, eliminating whatever

irritated these young people raised during difficult times. Was

it an unintended result?”

~~~

As a result of all these transformations, including the de-

egotization of thought and attitude connected thereto, society

becomes capable of a mental creativity which goes beyond

normal conditions. This effort could be useful in any cultural,

technical, or economic area if the authorities did not oppose

and stifle it because they feel threatened by such activity.

Human genius is not born of lazy prosperity and among

genteel camaraderie, but rather stands in perpetual confronta-

tion with a recalcitrant reality which is different from ordinary

human imaginations. Under such conditions, wide-scale theo-

retical approaches are found to have practical existential value.

The old system of thought which remains in use in free coun-

tries starts to look backward, naive, and bereft of feeling of

values.

If nations which arrived at such a state were to regain their

freedom, many valuable accomplishments of human thought

would mature within a short time. No excessive fears would be

in order as to whether such a nation would then be capable of

elaborating a workable socio-economic system. Quite the con-

trary: the absence of egoistical pressure groups, the conciliatory

nature of a society which has years of bitter experience behind

it, and the penetrating, morally profound thought processes

would permit the way out to be found relatively rapidly. Dan-

ger and difficulty would rather come from outside pressures on

the part of nations which do not adequately understand the

conditions in such a country. But unfortunately, the pathocracy

cannot be dosed as a bitter medicine!

The older generation, raised in a normal man’s country,

generally reacts by developing the above-mentioned skills, i.e.

by enrichment; the younger generation, however, was raised

under pathocratic rule and thus succumbs to a greater world

view impoverishment, reflex rigidification of personality, and

domination by habitual structures, those typical results of the

operation of pathological personalities. Paralogistic propaganda

and its corresponding indoctrination are consciously rejected;

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

251

however, this process demands time and effort which could

better be used for active apperception of valuable contents. The

latter are accessible only with difficulty, due both to limitations

and to apperceptive problems. There arises the feeling of a

certain void which is hard to fill. In spite of human good will,

certain paralogisms and paramoralisms, as well as cognitive

materialism, anchor and persevere in brains. The human mind

is not able to disprove every single falsity which has been sug-

gested to it.