Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind
a bridge between Mind and Society
by Israel W. Charny

“Israel Charny argues persuasively that fascism and democracy are not only political systems but ways of organizing the mind. His book builds a convincing link between societal evil and the mind of the individual perpetrator. This is one of the most important books of this decade.”
—Douglas H. Sprenkle, psychologist and family therapist, formerly editor of Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy, author of Effectiveness Research in Marriage and Family Therapy.

“Momentous -- THE most innovative piece of scholarship I have ever read. Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind is extremely timely and it offers suggestions about ways to go forward in conflict resolution at the societal, family, and individual levels. I know of no other books in psychology or Holocaust and genocide studies that have linked societal and individual processes in as innovative a way as this book does.”
—Robert K. Hitchcock, anthropologist, coeditor of Endangered Peoples of Africa and the Middle East: Struggles to Survive and Thrive.

What might you have done if you had been caught up in the Holocaust? In My Lai? In Rwanda? Confronted with acts of violence and evil on scales grand and small, we ask ourselves, baffled, how such horrors can happen—how human beings seemingly like ourselves can commit such atrocities. The answer, l W Charny suggests in this important new work, may be found in each one of us, in the distinct ways in which we organize our minds.

An internationally recognized scholar of the psychology of violence, Charny defines two paradigms of mental organization, the democratic and the fascist, and shows how these systems can determine behavior in intimate relationships, social situations, and events of global significance.

With its novel conception of mental health and illness, this book develops new directions for diagnosis and treatment of emotional disorders that are played out in everyday acts of violence against ourselves and others. Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind also offers much-needed insight into the sources and workings of terrorism and genocide. A sane, radical statement about the guiding principles behind acts of violence and evil, the book sounds a passionate call for the democratic way of thinking that recognizes complexity, embraces responsibility, and affirms life.

I W Charny is the editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Genocide and the executive director of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem. A practicing clinical psychologist and family therapist, Charny is professor of psychology and family therapy at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind
Table of Contents

Author’s Preface

Chapter 1: What is the Original ‘Mind Software’ We Humans Receive at the ‘Factory’? We Start from a Weakminded, Rigid, and in effect Fascist Mind Position and then Need to Grow Up, but Do We?

Chapter 2: The Choice between Fascist Mind and Democratic Mind: What Chance Do We have of Changing Our “Fascist Minds” to “Democratic Minds”?

Chapter 3: The Fascist Believer: Totality, Overcertainty, and Suppression of Information

Chapter 4: The Fascist Slave: Obedience, Conformity, and Intolerance of Dissent

Chapter 5: The Fascist Fist: Superiority, Excessive Power, and Violence Against Self and Others

Chapter 6: The Fascist Denier: ‘I Never Did Any Harm’ – Denials of Doing Harm to Oneself or To Others

Chapter 7: Democratic Mind as the Healthy Alternative to Fascist Mind: The Joy of Life Process and Opportunity

Chapter 8: Psychotherapy as Anti-Fascism and Training for Democracy: The Psychotherapy Room as a Dedicated Experience in Democracy

Chapter 9: Discovering Applications of Democratic Mind in Everyday Life: How to Use our Minds Safely, Wholesomely, and Creatively

Chapter 10: Unified Theory of Democratic Mind in the Self, Family, and Society: A Vision of More Decent Human Beings who do Less Harm to Themselves and Others

Closing: The Care and Maintenance of the Bridge between Mind and Society: The Privilege and Responsibility of Working to Achieve Democratic Minds and Societies

Epilogue/About The Author:
Israel W. Charny’s Background as a Psychotherapist and as a Peace Researcher Studying Genocide

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