On the Psychology of Evil

Can you take a scientific approach to a metaphysical or moral issue? In his book People of the Lie: The Hope for Human Evil, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck argues that the study of evil should be taken seriously, scientifically - and with caution. 

Peck defines evil as “that force, residing either inside or outside of human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness.” It does so by destroying the spiritual growth of another in order to preserve one’s pathology. 

Identifying evil is necessary because naming something correctly gives us a certain power over it. Lying, distortion, manipulation and disguise to preserve power or a sense of self are at the centre of evil. This is why narcissists are often defined as ‘evil’. 

The distinctive feature of evil is that it is an act of volition. An example of this is Tolkien’s fictional character Gollum. Grappling with the voice of both good and evil within, Gollum willingly chooses to act on evil without guilt or repentance later.  

The most common pretence chosen by evil is that of love. This is done to deceive others and also to deceive oneself. It’s a form of genius that one can almost admire for its perversity.

Peck in his book gives examples of everyday partners, family members and children who, for reasons unclear, preserve the integrity of their sickness, the evil, even if it means crushing the spirit of those around them. 

And these people arouse two emotions in particular- confusion and revulsion. Confusion because lies are difficult to make sense of, and revulsion because it alerts us to get away from the presence of something unpleasant or dangerous. 

And that is exactly the most appropriate thing to do under circumstances when confronted with an evil presence: to get away from it. The attempt to ‘heal’ evil should be undertaken only when one is capable of great psychological and spiritual strength. 

We need a psychology of evil to understand it better. And it must be a healing psychology because one cannot study a disease without the intention to heal it; healing is a result and function of love. 

Bottom line: The evil are ‘the people of the lie,’ who are seemingly ordinary, superficially normal, and even apparently rational. This is because the evil individual is a master of disguise, masking their intentions from others and often to themselves.