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David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, was sought out by Al Jazeera for his thoughts on dehumanization in light of the murder of a Palestinian infant in an Israeli arson attack.

Livingstone Smith began the interview by examining the dehumanization of African Americans in the 17^th century, describing how it was believed that African slaves did not have souls. He discussed the relationship between racism and dehumanization, acknowledging that, although they are separate problems, they are often interconnected.

“Thinking that one person’s life matters less than that of another is something that goes beyond merely hating them—particularly when we think of other human beings as less than human creatures, “ Livingstone Smith explained. “When we dehumanize people, we think of them as subhuman creatures that deserve to be exterminated or harmed in some way.”

Livingstone Smith continued by explaining that people dehumanize others because it helps them rationalize the harm they are inflicting —that it is inherently difficult to treat others poorly, but that dehumanization provides a perceived justification to do so.  

The interview concluded with a discussion of genocide, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the issue of desensitization.  “We distance ourselves from these terrible things and this causes a moral stunting that allows such horrible acts to continue,” he said. “It could motivate us to do something about it, but unfortunately, that’s not how things roll right now."