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

derives from the very nature of pathocracy as a macrosocial

psychopathological phenomenon. After all, that very area of

knowledge and treatment must first be degraded to prevent it

from jeopardizing the system itself by pronouncing a dramatic

diagnosis, and must then be used as an expedient tool in the

hands of the authorities. In every country, however, one meets

with people who notice this and act astutely against it.

The pathocracy feels increasingly threatened by this area

whenever the medical and psychological sciences make pro-

gress. After all, not only can these sciences knock the weapon

of psychological conquest right out of its hands; they can even

strike at its very nature, and from inside the empire, at that.

A specific perception of these matters therefore bids the

pathocracy to be “ideationally alert” in this area. This also ex-

plains why anyone who is both too knowledgeable in this area

and too far outside the immediate reach of such authorities

should be accused of anything that can be trumped up, includ-

ing psychological abnormality.

CHAPTER VIII

PATHOCRACY AND RELIGION

Monotheistic faith strikes a contemporary thinker primarily

as an incomplete induction derived from ontological knowl-

edge about the laws governing microcosmic and macrocosmic

material and organic and psychological life, as well as being a

result of certain encounters accessible by means of introspec-

tion. The rest complements this induction by means of items

man gains by other ways and accepts either individually or in

accordance with the dictates of his religion and creed. A sound-

less, wordless voice unconsciously awakens our associations,

reaches our awareness in the quiet of mind, and either comple-

ments or rebukes our cognition; this phenomenon is every bit

as true as whatever has become accessible to science thanks to

modern investigative methods.

In perfecting our cognition in the psychological field and at-

taining truths formerly available only to mystics, we render

ever narrower the space of nescience which until recently sepa-

rated the realm of spiritual perception from naturalistic science.

Sometime in the not too distant future, these two cognitions

will meet and certain divergences will become self evident. It

would thus be better if we were prepared for it. Almost from

the outset of my deliberations on the genesis of evil, I have

been conscious of the fact that the investigative results con-

cisely presented in this work can be used to further complete

that space which is so hard for the human mind to enter.

268

PATHOCRACY AND RELIGION

The ponerological approach throws new light upon age-old

questions heretofore regulated by the dictates of moral systems

and must of necessity bring about a revision in thought meth-

ods. As a Christian, the author was initially apprehensive that

this would cause dangerous collisions with ancient tradition.

Studying the question in the light of the Scriptures caused these

apprehensions gradually to fade away. Rather, this now appears

to be the way to bring our thought processes closer to that

original and primeval method of perceiving moral knowledge.

Quite characteristically, reading the Gospels can provide teach-

ings clearly convergent with the method of understanding evil

derived from naturalistic investigations on its origin. At the

same time, we must foresee that the process of correction and

conformation will be laborious and time consuming, which

ultimately will probably prevent any major tumult.

Religion is an eternal phenomenon. A sometimes overly ac-

tive imagination would at first complement whatever esoteric

perception could not handle. Once civilization and its concur-

rent discipline of thought reaches a certain level of develop-

ment, a monotheistic idea tends to emerge, generally as a con-

viction of a certain mental elite. Such development in religious

thought can be considered a historical law rather than individ-

ual discovery by such people like Zarathustra or Socrates. The

march of religious thought through history constitutes an indis-

pensable factor of the formation of human consciousness.

Acceptance of religion’s basic truths opens to man a whole

field of possible cognition wherein his mind can search for the

truth. At that point, we also free ourselves of certain psycho-

logical impediments and gain a certain freedom of cognition in

areas accessible to naturalistic perception. Rediscovering the

true, ancient, religious values strengthens us, showing us the

meaning of life and history. It also facilitates our introspective