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The special kind of freedom of homo sapiens includes both, abiding by –normative– ethics of Humanity and contrasting ethics by using the –empirical– ability to dehumanize others. We humans are able to switch rather easily between both. The grammar of our Western languages indicates that, and Western political philosophy defines dignity of man by a similar formula. Regarding punishment and crime, our psyche is working with tech-niques of neutralizing brutal acts. Even we "good ones" suppress acting inhumanely towards others by the method of neutralizing or better by collectivizing ourselves. We democrats submit blindly to the Rule of Law and the mightiness of our own Justice. Justifying easily lifelong incarceration without accepting a bit of personal re-sponsibility for our own decisions is a kind of a collective ritual of de- individuation, sovereign democrats should be aware of. In order to define humanity as well as its negation, inhumanity, the simple Democratic Trinity of "Freedom, Equity and Solidarity" is to be picked up. With a set of four theses I'll try reducing the complexity: (1) Juris-prudence and Political Science: There might be "Three Democratic Steps of Punishment". (2) Linguistics and Culture: Grammar of Western languages indicate we are prepared for both Democracy in a We-group and for its Negation. Therefore Freedom might be de- fined as "status communicativus", too. (3) Psychology and Ethics: Milgram et al. prove that the majority of us cannot avoid "obedience and submission". Therefore we have to develop both strong collec-tive ethics and at least for leaders a "Personal Democratic Identity". (4) Finally Philosophical Anthropology: The favored "Rule of Weighing Political Acts Democratically" means harmonizing for each important individual case "freedom, equity and solidarity".

This paper is concerned with the dimensions and processes of dehumanization within the context of our contemporary social order. It considers briefly the nature of post‐industrial society and its dehumanizing consequences, discussing the various dimensions of dehumanization articulated by various writers. The core argument is that dehumanization is created by external social structural conditions and only later becomes internally self‐generating within the individual, which can lead to a self‐perpetuating dehumanization syndrome.

ObjectiveThis article documents dehumanization in the 2016 presidential contest.MethodsUsing a mixed‐method approach, I analyze dehumanized portrayals of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in visual campaign rhetoric and on common survey measures of dehumanization.ResultsImages from the campaign discourse reflect animalistic and mechanistic dehumanization of the presidential candidates. The survey data reveal that voters dehumanize opposition candidates and party members in both subtle and blatant ways that also reflect this animalistic–mechanistic distinction.ConclusionThe findings affirm the external validity of measurement strategies for dehumanization by showing the correspondence between campaign imagery and common survey‐based measurement tools. This work situates dehumanization as a psychological process relevant to the study of campaigns and elections.

Immigrants, as a group, are frequently described in ways, such as vermin or disease, that portray them as less than human. This type of dehumanizing language leads to negative emotional responses and negative attitudes toward the dehumanized group. This paper examines how the dehumanization of immigrants influences immigration policy attitudes. I use original experimental data to show that dehumanization leads to more negative immigration attitudes. I further find that these negative attitudes are mediated by the role of emotion. Dehumanization increases anger and disgust toward immigrants, which causes anti-immigrant sentiment.

Abstract. Across two studies, we tested the relationship between the stereotype dimensions of sociability, morality, and competence and the two dimensions of humanness (human nature and human uniqueness). Study 1 considered real groups and revealed that sociability had greater power than morality in predicting human nature. For some groups, sociability also trumped competence in predicting human nature. By contrast, the attribution of human uniqueness was predicted by competence and morality. In Study 2, participants read a scenario depicting an unfamiliar group in stereotypical terms. Results showed that competence and sociability were the strongest predictors of human uniqueness and human nature, respectively. Although with nuances, both studies revealed that sociability, morality, and competence relate differently to the two dimensions of humanness.

Degradation, dehumanization, instrumentalization, humiliation, and nonrecognition - these concepts point to ways in which we understand human beings to be violated in their dignity. Violations of human dignity are brought about by concrete practices and conditions, some commonly acknowledged, such as torture and rape, and others more contested, such as poverty and exclusion. This volume collates reflections on such concepts and a range of practices, deepening our understanding of human dignity and its violation, bringing to the surface interrelationships and commonalities, and pointing to the values that are thereby shown to be in danger. In presenting a streamlined discussion from a negative perspective, complemented by conclusions for a positive account of human dignity, the book is at once a contribution to the body of literature on what dignity is and how it should be protected as well as constituting an alternative, fresh and focused perspective relevant to this significant recurring debate. As the concept of human dignity itself crosses disciplinary boundaries, this is mirrored in the unique range of perspectives brought by the book's European and American contributors - in philosophy and ethics, law, human rights, literature, cultural studies and interdisciplinary research. This volume will be of interest to social and moral philosophers, legal and human rights theorists, practitioners and students.

Preface: Something like a darkness -- What is dehumanization? -- Dehumanization is real -- In the blood -- Essential differences -- The logic of race -- Hierarchy -- The order of things -- Being human -- Ideology -- Dehumanization as ideology -- Ambivalence -- Making monsters -- Last words and loose ends.