The Pathology Of Man: A Study Of Human Evil [Hardcover]

Steven J. Bartlett (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 359 pages
• Publisher: Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd; 1 edition (March 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0398075573
• ISBN-13: 978-0398075576
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,038,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Non-religious Rediscovery of "Original Sin", February 2, 2008

By 

Paul Marxhausen (Lincoln, Nebraska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pathology Of Man: A Study Of Human Evil (Paperback)

The book is expensive, the typeface is small, the subject can be both challenging and discouraging. Read it anyway! It is a terrifically thorough and unflinching examination of human nature from a purely rational viewpoint. At the heart is the seeming conundrum that "pathological" behavior - which by common definition would be bad or destructive behavior that is deviant or unusual - is, paradoxically, endemic in the entire human population, and is apparently part of our normal condition. This book is a nearly insurmountable challenge to the commonly voiced intuition that "basically, people are good."

While clearly this involves judgments about morality, the author does not approach this as a religious issue. In fact,by the end of the book we find that he believes that the common religious value of forgiveness is deplorable: in the author's view, it prevents us from holding people sufficiently accountable for their actions, and surrenders an important tool in effecting a change in the tremendously destructive "normal pathology" of human beings.

From my own vantage point, I can't escape the impression that this insightful author has managed to lay out a completely secular exposition of what has been called "original sin" in Judeo-Christian tradition. To see this so thoroughly established outside of, or even in some sense in opposition to, a religious context, is to realize that the ancient doctrine of original sin is much more than some sort of contrived, oppressive constraint foisted on human freedom by religionists. Rather, as G.K. Chesterton once wrote, it is the single religious doctrine whose truth can be incontrovertibly verified by any person who observes human behavior.

Regardless of what kind of ethical, moral, theological, or rational foundation you stand on, Mr. Bartlett has challenges you shouldn't ignore. If you can't fork up the $54, check the library of your local university for this title.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bit worried, but then the sun came out., February 9, 2006

By 

Jimmy Porter (Dubois, Wy USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pathology Of Man: A Study Of Human Evil (Paperback)

$54.00 is a lot to pay for a book in 2006 and I mulled over in my mind spending this money several times. Finally I just went a bought it. The subject material interested me enormously and as time went on. . . . .I had to have it.

I started reading the book from the front and quickly became disillusioned. I almost put the book up, but then that $54 expenditure coaxed me on. My advice to you is to skip the first part of the book as it is a rehash of what other psychologist think about this subject. There is not much there for me.

I would recommend purchasing this book and if you start on page 123 with the heading Meteorology and Deadly Human Conflicts: L.F. Richardson you will find it impossible to put this book down.

The writing is clear, intelligent and understandable; the content, if it is true, is really enlightening. Your mind will be changed and if the book did not cost so much, I'd send a copy to Dubya so he could learn how and why he is the first in line for the worlds potential mass murderer. The section on terrorism is especially mind expanding and I will not look at another news cast about Bush's terrorist agenda the same way again. I can see where our entire government is being led like a bunch of sheep into a quagmire greater than Iraq and again King George is at the head of the group. All because no one can think or will think.

If you are an independent person, open minded and will question your environment, this book is for you. I read my books with a pencil so the margins are filled with questions, definitions, opinions and highlighting. I hope you enjoy your copy as well as I use and protect mine. It was well worth the $54.00!