A short podcast with leading anthropologist Professor Harvey Whitehouse, ahead of an evening seminar at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Harvey speaks to Cumberland Lodge Principal, Ed Newell, about what motivates extremist behaviour.
Public policy is driven by the principle that violent extremist beliefs cause violent extremist behaviour, but building on a vast body of evidence from anthropology and experimental psychology, Professor Whitehouse argues that the real motivation for extreme behaviour is ‘identify fusion’ (an especially powerful form of group bonding) coupled with perceptions of out-group threat. On this view, religious beliefs are just post-hoc rationalisations, rather than the real drivers of extreme behaviour.
If the hypothesis above is true, then a startling conclusion follows: the suicide bomber who claims that he is acting because of religious beliefs is wrong, and deluded about what is motivating him. It also means our countering violent extremism strategies should focus less on the hot-air produced by extremist beliefs, and more on what really motivates violent extremism.
When fused groups feel threatened, they are liable to exhibit extremist behaviours and to perceive their actions as primarily defensive. If this is the case, then should countering violent extremism strategies focus on disrupting or redirecting the fusion process, rather than challenging the extremist’s explicit religious beliefs and arguments?
The Cumberland Seminar that followed this podcast recording took place at Cumberland Lodge, the educational foundation, on Wednesday 8 November 2017. It brought together leading social commentators, parliamentarians, NGO leaders and researchers, to discuss the issues. cumberlandlodge.ac.uk
