Gebert to Give Talk on Motivations of Perpetrators of Genocide

Konstanty Gebert, the John R. Heath Visiting Professor at Grinnell College, will present a public talk titled “The Genocidaire as a Moral Person” on Nov. 13 in Humanities and Social Studies Center, Room S1325. Drawing from his extensive research, including field study in Bosnia and Rwanda, Gebert currently teaches a course on comparative genocide studies at Grinnell. Similar to the course, his public talk will focus less on the perspective of genocide victims, and more on that of the perpetrators.

Gebert intends to unpack how these individuals justify their actions, often viewing them as necessary sacrifices for a collective cause. He posits, following the pioneering work of Zygmunt Bauman, that the basic institutions enabling genocide already exist in modern societies and are merely hijacked and distorted to serve the purposes of the genocidaire.

“Genocide is not a radical break from civilization but rather a misuse of modernity,” Gebert explains. “The point I’ll be making is that the perpetrators of genocide consider themselves to be moral people working in the interest of a greater common good and actually sacrificing themselves to accomplish that goal.”

“Genocidaire” is the French term for a perpetrator of genocide. Gebert explains that the English language contains no specific term for genocide perpetrators — a stark contrast to continental European languages. “The English language doesn’t have a word for it.”

Gebert hopes to impart the understanding that the capacity for genocide is not confined to societies of the past, but remains a potentiality in today’s world. He urges audiences to reflect on how the self-perception of moral righteousness among perpetrators complicates our understanding of such atrocities.

“This is a message for modern societies: the potential for genocide exists, and we must remain vigilant,” he says.

About the John R. Heath Professorship

Endowed in honor of John Reardon Heath, Grinnell Class of 1919, who was an active member and president of the Grinnell Board of Trustees and gave steadfast support to Grinnell’s long and continuing engagement with the world, the Heath Professorship brings to Grinnell College the most distinguished international figures for a semester-length stay. This semester marks Gebert’s seventh turn in Grinnell, mainly as Heath Visiting Professor, since 1999.

What: “The Genocidaire as a Moral Person.” A public talk by Konstanty Gebert, John R. Heath Professor

Where: HSSC, Room S1325 

When: 7 p.m., Nov. 13