Readers respond to terrorism’s roots
Reader feedback on the July 9, 2016 issue of Science News
Rooting out terrorism
Anthropologists have moved to the front lines to determine what drives people to join terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State. New research shows that the most committed ISIS fighters revere Islamic law and identify closely with a small group of comrades, Bruce Bower reported in “Deadly devotion” (SN: 7/9/16, p. 18).
Some readers noted similarities between researcher Scott Atran’s work and philosopher Eric Hoffer’s 1951 book The True Believer. The book discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism that can be seen in political and religious movements throughout history. “It’s nice to have a scientific patina applied to Hoffer’s work, but his contributions to explaining the p-sychological bases for mass movements should always be credited,” wrote Michael Rethman.