Desk killers: the psychology of committing crimes against humanity
HistoryExtra podcast
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The Human Capacity for Empathy
Geeta Sirhanis was heavily criticized by historians for her work on Stangor and Speer. She believes that if we are going to really understand the minds of perpetrators, we have to see people's humanity. This dichotomy is best exemplified in a book by German writer Bernard Schlink. He writes: I wanted simultaneously to understand Hannah's crime and to condemn it. But it was too terrible for that. When I condemned it, as it must be condemned, there was no room for understanding. Always keep in mind the human being.
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