Psykologien, massen og de onde handlinger

En kommentar til Temanummeret: Massepsykologi.

Abstract

Psychology's occupation with actions of the masses shows consistent features from le Bon to the current discussion on masspsychology. In the paper it is argued that masspsychology connects to a rationalistic paradigm where a. o. evil actions are made fundamentally explainable anomina, by rational and »good« human ways of acting. The lack of accept of the »evil« in concrete human relations prevent not only explanation, but also the understanding of the phenomena that masspsychology aims to explain.
Masspsychology is being placed as a discourse in the extension of the rationalistic discourse of humanistic science, using von Clausewitz' conceptualization of War as an example. A discussion of the value of this discourse is opened; it can not be determined
en bloc, but must be analysed as part of different, concrete strategies and tactics.