Evil

In contrast to traditional systems of thought which regarded evil as a supernatural force that explained human misfortune, Michel Wieviorka develops a sociological analysis of evil phenomena. His aim is to explain evil, to reveal its social, political, and cultural sources, and to clarify the processes through which the present-day forms of evil - terrorism, violence, racism, and active hatred - are constituted.

A synthesis of the author's detailed studies of these forms of evil, this book offers a fresh approach to the understanding of the darker regions of human behaviour. If we wish to live in an open, democratic world in which each individual constructs his or her own experience and leads his or her own life in a spirit of respect for and solidarity with others, then we must understand the processes that lead in totally different directions, negating the individual's subjectivity and moral and physical integrity. Michel Wieviorka invites us to do just that in this highly topical and engaging book.

FOREWORD
CHAPTER 1 Facing Evil. A sociological perspective
CHAPTER 2 An End to Violence
CHAPTER 3 Global Terrorism
CHAPTER 4 The Return of Racism
CHAPTER 5 The New Arena of the Social Sciences or, How to Raise the Level of Generalization.
PART 1 The Critique of the Subject
PART 2 Thinking Globally

Students and scholars of Sociology

Michel Wieviorka is professor of sociology at the L'École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and President of the Fondation de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme.