Bruce Allen Scharlau PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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IT~els, both agree that the 'character passions' are ~ifluenced by b~e
relationship between the individual and b~eir
group and coromon structure of b~e
b~e
environment. Tne social
socio-economic conditions help mould
individual character. Tney influence the desires OI the ~idividual
not always to act Di w~e desired mariller, and to t6iTtper desires and
actions to w~e social norm. Ti.'1US given different conditions
individual might act differently given b~e saine type of stit'TIulus; e. g.
b~ey are subrnissive to aub~ority and diJIl1~late
their fa..T1ily. At best, man
can be dc:mesticated. Hvwever, this does not mean b~at ITlO.J.i is ~illately
aggressive. No su-pport has been fOwid for b~at thesis.:l. 4
The two models differ as to which passions prediJITl~late
ruiu are
~ifluencial ; are they personal, or do religious ideological
arguments also hold SwaY?
In general the 'psychologically disturbed'
would agree b~at b~e 'character passions' of love, pciwer f revenge and
lust for cruelty and destruction are pvwerful before, and wTIile,
'lower' physiological needs are met. Tnis lS shawn b~uough
of suicide because of where b~ere
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the instances
lS a lack of love, power, revenge ruid
The 'rational-idealist' model would add that religious and
ideological motivation are a.iso pvwerful and can contribute to
destl-uctive and cruel acts that outweigh
love for one's children,
parents ruid friends. The belief ill b~ese is such that w~e acts do not
appear cruel and destructive to w~eir
perpetrators, Cilid possbily b~is
contributed to West Gel.'1TlO.J.i terrorists leaving b~eir children (Ensslin,
Meinhof, Speitels to Susrullie Albrecht's
participation in b~e murder of b~e family friend Juergen Ponto ~i
1977.J.6
Foresight ruid ~Tagination also widen the rruige of potential Ua!igers
b~at could be foreseen for reli~ion and ideolo~y which must be defended
against today so b"1at they are avoided in the future.:l.? This perhaps
explains haw feelings of anger and revenge can becc:me generalised for
b~e
terrorist group into 'despair' of the situation ruiU its resolution
b~ough words.:l.8 D'1e Red AL-rr~ Faction murdered Sie~Lried 6uback as much
H ibid., 121-3, 131, 305; apru L. friJIl1 i'Tvllilu' S review of the
literature see also Paul Wilkinson, "Social Scientific Tneory and Civil
Violence", in: Yonru~ Alexander, David Carlton, Paul Wilk~ison (eds.),
Terrorism: TiI60LY and Practice {Boulder, CO.; Westview Press, Inc. f
1979J, 45-72, 51-2.
:l.5 Fromm, 30.
:l.6 ibid. , 243-4; :Harion Scrueiber, "Wir fuehl ten UUb einfach
staerker" Der Spiegel 20 (1 J:.fay) 1981, 82-108, 100; Indep8J.J.dent 27 April
1991, o.
1. 7 FraTrn, 265-6.
:l.8 Rubenstein! 8.