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

Such a specific process aims at ridding the religious struc-

ture of those deformations which were the effect of the opera-

tion of the pathological factors familiar to us. Insofar as the

appearance of pathocracy in various guises throughout human

history, always resulting from human errors which opened the

door to the pathological phenomenon, one must also look on

the other side of the coin. We should understand this in the

light of that underrated law, when the effect of a particular

causative structure has a teleological meaning of its own. It

would, however, be highly advantageous for this recuperative

process to be accompanied by greater awareness of the nature

of the phenomena, which also acts similarly in terms of devel-

oping psychological immunity and healing human personali-

ties. Such awareness could also help elaborate safer and more

effective plans of action.

If individuals and groups believing in God are able to accept

an objective understanding of macrosocial pathological phe-

nomena, especially this most dangerous one, the natural out-

come will thus prove to be a certain separation of religious and

ponerological problematics, which qualitatively occupy differ-

ent levels of reality. Church attention can then revert to ques-

tions regarding man’s relationship with God, an area for which

churches have a calling. On the other hand, resistance to pone-

rological phenomena and their worldwide spread should be

largely assumed by scientific and political institutions whose

actions are based on a naturalistic understanding of the nature

and genesis of evil. Such a separation of duties can never be

quite consistent, since the genesis of evil includes participation

of human moral failings, and overcoming these based on relig-

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ious premises has been the responsibility of religious associa-

tions since times immemorial.

Some religions and denominations subjected to pathocratic

rule are forced by such circumstance to become overly in-

volved in matters conventionally referred to as political, or

even in economic efforts. This is necessary both in order to

protect the existence of the religious organization itself and in

order to help fellow believers or other citizens suffering abuse.

It is important, however, to avoid having such a state of affairs

become permanent in the shape of habit and tradition, since this

could later make it more difficult to revert to normal human

government.

In spite of existing differences of conviction and tradition,

the basis for cooperative effort on the part of people with good

will should contain that characteristic convergence of the con-

clusions we deduce between the precepts of the Christian Gos-

pels (and other monotheistic religions) and a ponerological

view of the genesis of evil. The faithful of various religions and

denominations do in fact believe in the same God, and at pre-

sent they are threatened by the same macrosocial pathologic

phenomenon. This creates sufficient data to enable a search for

cooperation in affecting achievements whose value is so obvi-

ous.

CHAPTER IX

THERAPY FOR THE WORLD

For centuries, attempts were made to treat various diseases

based on naive understanding and upon experience transmitted

from generation to generation. This activity was not ineffec-

tive; in many cases it produced advantageous results. Supersed-

ing this traditional medicine with the newly generating modern

science in Europe caused social health to deteriorate initially.

However, it was only with the help of modern science that

many diseases were vanquished, ailments against which tradi-

tional medicine had been helpless. This occurred because a

naturalistic comprehension of disease and its causes created a

basis for counteraction.

Regarding the phenomena discussed in this work, our situa-

tion is similar to the one engendered by the above-mentioned

crisis with reference to the health of European nations. We

have left behind the traditional socio-moral organization but

have not yet elaborated a more valuable science, one which

would fill in the gap. We therefore need newly established

criteria which can become the basis for an analogous discipline

with an enduring structure; simultaneously, this would fulfill a

burning need in today’s world.

According to contemporary understanding, effective treat-

ment of a disease becomes possible once we have apprehended

its essence, its etiological factors and their properties, and its

pathodynamic course within organisms with dissimilar biologi-

cal properties. Once such knowledge is available, finding the

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279

proper treatment measures generally proves a less difficult and

dangerous duty. For doctors, disease represents an interesting,