Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization

Making Monsters explores the disturbing psychological and philosophical processes through which human beings come to see others as less than human. David Livingstone Smith argues that dehumanization is not simply an insult or metaphor, but a mental transformation in which certain groups are imagined as subhuman creatures, monsters, or vermin. This perception, he explains, has repeatedly paved the way for atrocities such as genocide, mass violence, slavery, and extreme cruelty.

Drawing on history, philosophy, social psychology, and anthropology, Smith examines how language, propaganda, and cultural narratives help create “monsters” out of ordinary people. The book analyzes cases including colonial violence, racism, the Holocaust, and ethnic conflicts, showing how dehumanization enables people to justify harm while seeing themselves as moral. Smith also emphasizes that dehumanization is emotionally powerful because it blends fear, disgust, and moral outrage.

Ultimately, the book invites readers to confront the uncomfortable truth that dehumanization is rooted in deep mechanisms of human thought. Understanding these mechanisms, Smith suggests, is essential for resisting hatred, combating racism, and defending human dignity.