Everyday evil

Finalist for the 2021 Montaigne Medal, Eric Hoffer Awards

Instead of the epic, alien force of our imagination, anthropologist Monique Layton argues that evil is intrinsic to our humanity, constantly evolving with modern notions of morality.

Much of the world's suffering, she argues, can be traced back to the individual actions of ordinary people trying — and failing — to maintain a static social order.

Drawing on anthropology, history, philosophy and popular culture, Layton provides a new lens through which to view contemporary issues, establishing connections between such disparate phenomena as:

• medieval law enforcement and the Trump Baby balloon,
• the Salem witch trials and female genital mutilation,
• body-snatching and surrogacy,
• slavery and fast fashion.