Psychopathy Incorporated
FEATURED RESEARCH PAPER, 21 Oct 2024
Koenraad Priels | Journal of Critical Realism in Socio-Economics - TRANSCEND Media Service
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a qualitative structural analysis of capitalism and demonstrate that it needs to be defined as a “psychopathic system.” Its inherent structural dynamics violently centralize and concentrate wealth and ideological and political power in the hands of a “psychopathic ruling class” with callous disregard for the resulting socio-ecological destruction. For epistemological clarity and clinical, criminological accuracy, global capitalism should be defined as “Psychopathy Incorporated.” Critical realism becomes a discipline of humane self-defense against psychopathy in power. Perpetuating capitalism proves to be demonstrably clinically and criminally insane. From a rational, humanitarian perspective, the radical solutions to our contemporary predicament are to fully acknowledge the trans-historical problem of psychopathy in power, criminalize capitalism and humanize socio-economic structures.
Introduction
The Psychopathic Mindset and Pathocracy throughout History
The ultimate goal of “the psychopathic mindset” is (and has always been) full spectrum dominance and the enslavement and exploitation of human societies (de Batselier, 1988; Lobaczewski, 1992; Priels, 2022; Turchin, 2016). Psychopaths see themselves as superior, enjoy human suffering, and have no empathy or conscience (Baron- Cohen, 2012). Wherever they can, they will attempt to seize power and shape culture and social structures to further their egotistic interests of wealth and power accumulation. There is ample historical evidence for this process, and the anthropological science of “cliodynamics” (Turchin, 2016) can be seen through the lens of “political ponerology” (Lobaczewski, 1992), to reveal the operations of psychopathy in power throughout history. Tribal societies tend to be egalitarian until there are “psychopathic upshots” (Turchin, 2016) that society cannot regulate. This process of “psychopathic capture” or “successful psychopathy” is social kryptonite (de Batselier, 1988; Priels, 2022; Shiva, 2019; Turchin, 2016).
When we look at history, we see clear and repetitive examples of “psychopathic capture” resulting in “psychopathic empire-building.” I will give an example from Peter Turchin’s “Ultrasociety” (2016) that demonstrates how the exploitation by psychopaths in power always results in the exploitation and suffering of the population at large similarly throughout history. This brings the lens of “political ponerology” (Lobaczewski, 1992) to the science of “clio-dynamics” (Turchin, 2016).
“The image of rulers “eating” common people in archaic states crops up worldwide. To give another example, in ancient India, the king (raja) was called ‘the devourer of peasants’ (vishamatta).”
“But perhaps the most remarkable evidence of how common people viewed the ruling elites in archaic states comes from Shi Jing or the Book of Odes…
Large rat! Large rat! Do not eat our millet.
Three years have we had to do with you,
And you have not been willing to show any regard for us. We will leave you,
And go to happy land. Happy land! Happy land! There we shall find our place. Large rat! Large rat!
Do not eat our wheat.
Three years have we had to do with you,
And you have not been willing to show any kindness to us. We will leave you,
And go to happy state. Happy State! Happy State!
There shall we find ourselves right. Large rat! Large rat!
Do not eat our springing grain!
Three years have we had to do with you,
And you have not been willing to think of our toil. We will leave you,
And go to happy borders. Happy borders! Happy borders!
Who will there make us always groan?” (Turchin, 2016, chapter 7)
When we look at these historical trends, we see a repetitive zig-zag movement that goes between “pathocracy” and ”democracy.” Agner Fog (2017) describes these polarities as “regal” and “kungic” and provides ample evidence.
“All through recorded history, we have seen extreme differences between different human societies. Some societies in some periods have been warlike and cruel beyond comprehension, while others in other times and places have been remarkably peaceful and tolerant.
Societies that are warlike, hierarchical, and intolerant with strict discipline are called regal. Peaceful, egalitarian, and tolerant societies are called “kungic.” Many societies are something in between these two extremes.” (Fog, 2017, introduction)
When we look at the science of “political ponerology” (Lobacewski, 1992) and the more recent scientific findings on psychopathy in power (Babiak et al., 2007), we can conclude that psychopathy in power offers the best explanation for one of these societal polarities. Moreover, in the light of “Prosocial Orthosociology,” we can describe them as “healthy” (peaceful) or “unhealthy” (warlike) societies. Psychopathy in power, in such view of organic sociology, is a severe societal disease, comparable to societal cancer, as the psychopathic elites extract the lifeblood from the social tissue to serve their pathological accumulation of wealth and power, resulting in widespread “social necrosis” (Goerner, 2019).
With this historical introduction and basic scientific methodology, we can now address our current situation as a human species on a planetary level because this very problem of psychopathy in power that has been terrorizing societies throughout history has now reached rampant destructivity and corruption on a global level and a level of technocratic sophistication and wealth and power concentration that has become an existential threat to our very survival (Goerner, 2019; Hickel, 2020; Philips, 2018; Priels, 2022; Robinson, 2022)!
“We stand at a precipice of extinction. Will we allow our humanity as living, conscious, intelligent, autonomous beings to be extinguished by a greedy machine that does not know limits and is unable to put a break on its colonization and destruction? Or will we stop the machine and defend our humanity, freedom, and autonomy to protect life on earth?” (Shiva, 2019, p. 181).
Findings and Discussion
Psychopathy Incorporated: How Capitalism Constitutes the Biggest Organized Crime System on Earth
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Psychopathy Incorporated JOCRISE Koenraad Priels
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Koenraad Priels, Independent Researcher–Journal of Critical Realism in Socio-Economics (JOCRISE)
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Tags: Capitalism, Conflict Analysis, Psychopathy, Research
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 21 Oct 2024.
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2 Responses to “Psychopathy Incorporated”
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RE: “global capitalism should be defined as “Psychopathy Incorporated”… in the hands of a “psychopathic ruling class””
The real question is WHY hasn’t this fact not been pointed out by many “scientists” decades ago?
And above else what Priels (and many others like him) typically leave out conveniently and/or willfully is the fact that this “psychopathic ruling class” is only ONE part of the equation. The pack of leading psychopaths do not operate in a vacuum, and never have. There are 2 destructive human pink elephants in the room and they are MARRIED — study the free essay “The 2 Married Pink Elephants In The Historical Room”… https://www.rolf-hefti.com/covid-19-coronavirus.html
The psychopaths in power are in those positions and do what they do ONLY because of the mostly willful activities, or inactivities, of the majority of self-entitled “decent” or “good” or “awake” or “religious” people — the 90-95% of the herd — and because they do NOT really want the truth but comforting fantasies.
“Our current ‘state’ is the dictatorship of evil. We know that already, I hear you object, and we don’t need you to reproach us for it yet again. But, I ask you, if you know that, then why don’t you act? Why do you tolerate these rulers gradually robbing you, in public and in private, of one right after another, until one day nothing, absolutely nothing, remains but the machinery of the state, under the command of criminals and drunkards?” — from a White Rose Pamphlet, the ‘White Rose’ was a German resistance group fighting Hitler’s Nazi regime
Isn’t it about time for anyone to wake up to the ULTIMATE DEPTH of the human rabbit hole — rather than remain blissfully willfully ignorant in a narcissistic fantasy land and play victim like a little child?
Of course it is but…
“The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduces them. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.” — Gustave Le Bon, in 1895
“My experiences with “alternative media” have been, for the most part, just as dreadful as with the mainstream media. Most are unprincipled scavengers, shills and prostitutes, willing, and even eager, to sell out for ego-gratification and/or financial gain.” — Barbara Hartwell, CIA Whistleblower
Without a proper understanding, and full acknowledgment, of the true WHOLE problem and reality, no real constructive LASTING change is possible for humanity.
And if anyone does NOT acknowledge, recognize, and face (either wittingly or unwittingly) the WHOLE truth THEY are helping to prevent this from happening. And so they are “part of the problem” and not part of the solution.
If you have been injected with Covid jabs/bioweapons and are concerned, then verify what batch number you were injected with at https://howbadismybatch.com
“There are large numbers of scientists, doctors, and presstitutes who will sell out truth for money, such as those who describe people dropping dead on a daily basis as “rare” when it it happening all over the vaccinated world.” — Paul Craig Roberts, Ph.D., American economist & former US regime official, in 2024
“Repeating what others say and think is not being awake. Humans have been sold many lies…God, Jesus, Democracy, Money, Education, etc. If you haven’t explored your beliefs about life, then you are not awake.” — E.J. Doyle, songwriter
Dear, if you had made the effort to read the full paper, you would have noticed that I do adress the way that psychopats are empowered by the majority by rote. I conclude that ALL of us, by reproducing this system, are in fact functional psychopats. That is a tragic and painful conclusion, of course, that you have missed. The only people exempt, are indigenous people who have no contact whatsoever with global trade or the capitalist world system. For all of us who do live in the system and reproduce it by mere participation in socio-economic reality, for us, there is a strong urgency to take our collective responsibility and get rid of capitalism. The key, in that regard, is to correct the misrepresentation of money, as I discuss in more recent work: https://jocrise.unida.gontor.ac.id/index.php/JOCRISE/article/view/49
Kind regards,
Koen