Moral Perfectionism and the Three Faces of Extremism: A Look from the Perspective of Psychoanalysis

Abstract

In this article, the author proposes that the moral perfectionism, which springs primarily from the psychological disturbance at the anal stage of an individual’s early development, is the personality basis of the political extremism. Furthermore, taking the cultural influences into the consideration, the moral perfectionists developed in three different belief systems (animistic, monotheistic, or atheistically humanistic belief system) manifest three types of political extremism respectively. Animistic extremists tend to use magic and pre-logical thinking. And in history it was typical of them to practice human sacrifice as a way for upholding their belief systems. Monotheistic extremists require the highest purity of the beliefs and the fully submission to one single spirit. In medieval Europe, they asked for perfection of people’s doing and advocate severe punishment, even death penalty, on imperfect deeds. Atheistically humanistic extremists, taking Khmer Rouge for example, with the purpose of achieving egalitarian justice, justify any costs including genocide.