Godwin's Law and Jones' Corollary: The Problem of Using Extremes to Make Predictions
Peoples Temple has been seen as the paradigmatic cult exemplifying the horrors of manipulative leaders and brainwashed followers due to the deaths in Jonestown on 18 November 1978. This article argues against the utility of making comparisons to such an extreme event, however. Drawing upon Godwin�...
| Published in: | Nova religio |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of Californiarnia Press
[2018]
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| In: |
Nova religio
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Peoples Temple
/ Μαζική αυτοκτονία
/ Νέα θρησκεία (μοτίβο)
/ Εκτίμηση
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| RelBib Classification: | AZ New religious movements |
| Further subjects: | B
Jonestown
B Godwin's Law B Religious Freedom B Religious Persecution |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Peoples Temple has been seen as the paradigmatic cult exemplifying the horrors of manipulative leaders and brainwashed followers due to the deaths in Jonestown on 18 November 1978. This article argues against the utility of making comparisons to such an extreme event, however. Drawing upon Godwin's Law and its observation that online debates eventually raise the trope of Hitler and Nazis, the article introduces Jones' Corollary: Discussions of new religions inevitably begin with a comparison to Jonestown. Making generalizations about new religions by starting with Jonestown is inappropriate because of the unique nature of Peoples Temple and its extraordinary ending in Jonestown. Nevertheless, Jonestown functions for the anticult movement and in online exchanges the same way that references to Nazis and Hitler doto evoke shock, disgust, and outrage, and, ultimately, to terminate analysis. |
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| ISSN: | 1541-8480 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Nova religio
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1525/nr.2018.22.2.145 |