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“The Power of the One Needs the Stupidity of the Other.”1 Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity and Analysis of its Socio-political Impact Cover

“The Power of the One Needs the Stupidity of the Other.”1 Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity and Analysis of its Socio-political Impact

By: Ilie Răpcianu  
Open Access
|Sep 2024

Abstract

Stupidity is a greater evil than evil itself. This could be the synthesis of the theory put forward by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a Protestant pastor, theologian, counter-intelligence officer, and martyr, whose work decisively influenced the subsequent evolution of the relationship between society and theology. One of the most fascinating aspects of his thinking is represented by the theorization of stupidity, which appears in his meditation “After Ten Years,” where he outlines the disastrous consequences of human stupidity, as well as how stupidity – as a form of legitimizing evil – can be stopped. The greatest evil that society must confront is imbecility. But what is its connection to political (or radical) evil, and how can we stop its disastrous consequences?

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2024-0021 | Journal eISSN: 2359-8107 | Journal ISSN: 2359-8093
Language: English, German
Page range: 317 - 335
Published on: Sep 28, 2024
Published by: Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 3 issues per year

© 2024 Ilie Răpcianu, published by Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.