Moral Perfectionism and the Three Faces of Extremism: A Look from the Perspective of Psychoanalysis

In this article, the author proposes that moral perfectionism, which springs primarily from psychological disturbance at anal stage of an individual’s early development, is personality basis political extremism. Furthermore, taking cultural influences into consideration, perfectionists developed in three different belief systems (animistic, monotheistic, or atheistically humanistic system) manifest types extremism respectively. Animistic extremists tend to use magic and pre-logical thinking. And history it was typical them practice human sacrifice as a way for upholding their systems. Monotheistic require highest purity beliefs fully submission one single spirit. medieval Europe, they asked perfection people’s doing advocate severe punishment, even death penalty, on imperfect deeds. Atheistically extremists, Khmer Rouge example, with purpose achieving egalitarian justice, justify any costs including genocide.