Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander To Hitler To The Corporation

By: Joseph Abraham

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: Right wing populists increasingly draw attention around the globe, but the attention is misdirected. The real problem is not the authoritarian leader, but the blinkered supporters who unquestioningly follow him. Without them, the despot is irrelevant. Why do we attach ourselves to demagogues and mountebanks? Why do we defend even their most obvious hypocrisies and lies? The answer lies in the roots of civilization. Despite our romantic traditions, monarchs were never wise, just, nor generous. Even the briefest review of history shows that, without exception, kings were the most vicious psychopaths, narcissists, and sadists who ever lived. And the only path for survival in the ancient world required unquestioningly obeying— and blindly believing— anything the king said.