The social allure of enemies: moral power and illusions in public reactions to Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem

In this article, I argue that groups are reluctant to relinquish enemy dynamics due to the benefits and moral power that enemyship generates. Through a case study of responses to Hannah Arendt’s book, Eichmann in Jerusalem, I propose that Eichmann’s trial created the perception of group cohesion, control of societal risks, enhanced status and purpose, and reduced culpability. However, I propose that this is an illusion that obfuscates systemic causes of conflict, erases victims’ agency, absolves bystanders’ responsibility, and reduces tolerance for internal dissent. Accepting these illusions can create new problems, turning the social functions of enemies into societal dysfunctions.