Evil and the Demonic: A New Theory of Monstrous Behavior

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In this powerfully original work, Paul Oppenheimer analyzes the phenomenon of evil in light of a startling new theory. He proposes that evil can be understood empirically, as a type of physical and mental behavior that emerges in particular landscapes. Evil, Oppenheimer argues, contains specific, predictable ingredients and is, as such, a demonstrable fact. By understanding its nature - its diabolical self-consciousness and its impersonal selection of victims - we can diagnose its specific manifestations in mass murder, genocide, and serial killings. Crisscrossing a variety of cinematic and literary genres in developing its evidence, the book considers such familiar films as The Silence of the Lambs and Brazil and draws upon such literary works as Richard III, Oedipus the King and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Written in a style intended for both general reader and specialist, Evil and the Demonic provides a framework in which we can place the horrors of human existence.