Exploring the ‘Paradox of Dehumanization’: References to Human Specific Traits and Mental States are Frequent in Dehumanizing Propaganda

Abstract

The construct of dehumanization is commonly invoked to explain intergroup harm. Psychological theories of dehumanization broadly hold that some outgroups are perceived to be less human than are the ingroup and, as a result, are more likely to be victims of harm. Historical examples in which victims of extreme harm have been compared to non-human entities such as ‘rats’ and ‘lice’ in propaganda are often cited in support of these claims. However, these accounts often overlook the so-called ‘paradox of dehumanization’, where marginalised outgroup members are sometimes described in human specific (yet negative) terms. Selective reporting of historical examples means that, at present, it is unclear how common these different types of description are. Here, we look more closely at the historical data. We systematically examine the prevalence of dehumanizing language along with references to human specific attributes and mental states in one of the most widely cited historical examples of dehumanization: anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda. We find that Jewish people were often described in ways that make most sense when applied to humans, lending weight to the hypothesis that intergroup violence may be driven, sustained, and justified by the negative human characteristics groups are seen to possess.

Warning: This article contains examples of anti-Semitic hate speech in the form of extracts from Nazi propaganda. Readers may find this distressing.

Keywords: Dehumanization, Intergroup harm, Propaganda, Hate speech