On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It

Philosopher Smith (Less Than Human) offers a deeply researched and lucid assessment of the psychological and sociopolitical act of dehumanization, or the process by which one is encouraged to view a particular group of people as subhuman. The author argues that “[d]ehumanization is a psychological response to political forces,” and carefully deconstructs key ideological structures that allow for dehumanization—concepts such as race and even the label of “human.” He then explores how those ideas have been used politically to justify dehumanization, exploitation, and mass murder. Political leaders who dehumanize accomplish their goals, Smith argues, by framing racism and prejudice as “psychologically natural antagonisms” and “brute facts of nature.” His examples include dehumanization during chattel slavery and the Holocaust, and of Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War and immigrants to America during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. An extensive further reading section at the end will support those who wish to dive deeper. Smith’s useful work serves as a solid entry-point for those grappling with the psychological and political workings of white supremacy, xenophobia, and other forms of us-versus-them thinking. (July)