Zero empathy: The perpetrators of evil

Abstract

<p>Armed conflicts eliminate perpetrators’ empathic capacity toward their victims. This affects the configuration of new desires and beliefs that shape the character of the perpetrators of evil. Thus, a perpetrator lacks any feeling of guilt, and does not grieve with the pain and suffering of others. For the perpetrator, killing does not become a moral transgression. In this context, this article seeks to understand how, based on a change of desires, an enemy is constructed, violence becomes a theatricalization of excess, and there exists a notable exculpation of perpetrators regarding their actions. Not being aware of this type of wishes and beliefs calls into question the responsibility of the actors of the conflict and the possibility of thinking of spaces of justice. Any lack of awareness about the actions of perpetrators limits the reliability of a peace process. In this sense, the emotional burdens of perpetrators have a direct impact on the ways in which they interact with their victims and their ability to tackle evil.</p>