Delusions & Democracy

Research in psychology has shown a wide variation in the internal lives of subjects, and sheds light on the causes of deeply irrational thinking patterns and decision-making. This talk aims to introduce these breakthroughs in psychological understanding into the area of democracy - that is, collective communication and decision-making.The talk will focus in particular on the Dark Tetrad, and the ways in which this complex of personality disorders seeks to impose narratives on political discourse that are simultaneously chaotic and monolithic. The talk will also describe some of the methods used to amplify Dark Tetrad behaviour and thinking in the public sphere (e.g. the proliferation of 'impact investing'; the creation of new rule-making processes aimed at bypassing democratic decision-making).At the end of the talk, participants should be familiar with the four major aspects of the Dark Tetrad (Psychopathy, Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Sadism), how the frequently delusional assumptions of these complexes have come to dominate political discourse, and why so many faddish explanations (e.g. 'fake news', 'the internet', 'far-right/left') have missed the mark on promoting rationality in public decision-making. The talk hopes to explain why we need a more differentiated analysis of the ways people think and act in the public sphere, and how we can easily impartially regulate for some of the most disturbed behavioural patterns without having to resort to authoritarian controls.
Hybrid Talk: https://arc.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/public-with-recording/
Meeting-ID: 662 3982 1284
Passcode: 244219