David Livingstone Smith on Monster Making and Dehumanization

David Livingstone Smith returns for a further conversation on dehumanization in light of his new book Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization. How do some people come to believe that their enemies are monsters, and therefore easy to kill? In this podcast David defines dehumanization, shares historical examples, how theology and ideology can literally demonize "the other," and we discuss the importance of monster theory in understanding dehumanization as a process that leads to genocide, lynchings, and other violence. David is professor of philosophy at the University of New England.