[Bups-dis] RE: The Nature of Hatred

[Fletcher Brown]

Dear Ash,

I'm also fairly new to the BUPS-DIS as far as contributions are concerned, 
but as a psychologist come philosopher I feel that I might prove fairly 
useful on the given topic.

As far as definition is concerned, you are attempting to distinguish 
between 'dislike' and 'hatred'.  I would suggest that hatred is not a more 
extreme position on a continuum of like/dislike, but is an altogether 
separate human experience.  Dislike, say for an irritating housemate, is an 
attitude or opinion based on a logical (whether justifiable or not) 
evaluation.  The boundary is crossed when that attitude or opinion develops 
into the experience of emotion.  Just as it is possible to love someone 
without liking them, a horrid ex-girlfriend or peculiar grandmother for 
example, perhaps it is equally possible to hate someone without disliking 
them.  This could be because of the implicit connotations of one's group 
membership (ie. The Holocaust) or just about any other reason.

As far as the rationality of hatred is concerned, it would seem that the 
judge of this would be the either the logical or irrational nature of the 
attitudes and opinions on which it is based.  There can thus be no 'yes' or 
'no' answer as to whether anyone's particular experience of hatred is 
justified.  It, in fact, seems largely a matter of social construction. 
Whilst most people would agree that it is justified to hate someone who 
murdered a close friend of yours, few would suggest that it is justified to 
hate the aforementioned housemate.  That is not to suggest, however, that 
one has any control over the experience of an emotion (and thus cannot be 
dubbed 'right' or 'wrong') and is largely a matter of majority consensus as 
to whether you are justified in experiencing it.  Surely what is more 
important is how one decides to act upon this emotion.

Finally, and slightly off topic, I believe that love and hate are not 
synergetic.  Indeed no emotion necessarily requires another to facilitate 
its function, and are related primarily to specific chemical processes in 
the brain brought about by cognitive directives.  An individual who was 
unable to produce serotonin and norepinephrine (neurotransmitting 
chemicals) would be chronically depressed, while one who possessed both in 
vast quantities would experience continual euphoria.  The brain tries its 
best (in most cases) to base one's emotion-inducing properties on logical 
thoughts, but doesn't always succeed.  So I conclude that love and hate 
could exist (at least on an individual level) without the presence of its 
opposition.

Regards,

Fletcher Brown