The Problem of Administrative Evil in a Culture of Technical Rationality

Abstract

The prevailing cultural context in the modern age, with its emphasis on technical rationality, has enabled a new and dangerous form of evil. The Holocaust was the signal event marking the emergence of administrative evil, but the tendency toward administrative evil, as manifested in acts of dehumanization and genocide, is deeply woven into the identity of professions in public life. The common characteristic of administrative evil is that ordinary people, within their normal professional and administrative roles, can engage in acts of evil without being aware that they are doing anything wrong. Under conditions of moral inversion, people may even view their evil activity as good.

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