Where was collective conscience in the Final solution?
Durkheim’s collective conscience was a set of shared beliefs, moral attitudes that unify society. You cannot apply this to the Final Solution. Dictators, such as Hitler was, think, speak and act in terms of order, specifically their own personal view of it. This “order” erodes confidence and trust into fear and obedience. In such cases, the “collective conscience” is subdued through terror. that’s where it was…hiding like a child afraid of the dark. Terrified into obedience. Glutting itself on its own superiority, for some. Yes, a human is no less human because he/she doesn’t buy into the collective. My conscience tells me that organized religions are the bane of mankind….should I then subjugate my own moral/ethical stance to the collective?
