Dr Jordan Peterson, a psychology professor at Toronto University, has a fascinating lecture (university course) online (linked below) called “Maps of Meaning” where he goes into the psychology of tyranny, and how each of us has the capacity to serve evil within us. It is in discovering this capacity before it happens that allows the individual to stave off the fate of performing evil against others. The course draws on historical tyrannical governments that started with popular revolutions “for the people”, such as Lenin, Mao, Hitler, and Pol Pot, and seeks to understand their psychology, and the psychology of those that obeyed them. It is very easy for good people to turn evil, especially if they are unable to become aware of their own very real capacity to perform evil deeds. Carl Jung’s shadow work is a profound practice that helps an individual discover their evil shadow side within oneself, and it was the source material from which Joseph Campbell, and later George Lucas, would draw from.
Below is the full playlist of all 22 classes from the Maps of Meaning course:
Maps of Meaning is a university course taught by Dr. Jordan B Peterson. It describes how the world is portrayed in story form in myths, rituals and religious conceptualizations and how that is related to brain function and behavior. In doing so, it presents a solid alternative to nihilism and totalitarianism. ~Dr. Jordan Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22J3VaeABQByVcW4lXQ46glULC-ekhOp
