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BIDDEFORD, Maine

David Livingstone Smith and alum Ioana Panaitiu publish paper on human nature and violence

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, and co-author Ioana Panaitiu (Political Science, ’15) recently published a paper titled, “Horror Sanguinis” in the journal, Common Knowledge.

The paper discusses the social nature of the human species and how human beings must override their inhibitions to perform acts of lethal violence against their own community. Smith and Panaitiu argue that humans rely on purification rituals to counteract the perceived contamination that comes with performing acts of violence.

David Livingstone Smith
David Livingstone Smith

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