Understanding Extremist Violence: The Drive Towards Existential Liberation

Presented by the Polarization and Violence Transformed (PiVoT) Peace Lab 

Title: Understanding Extremist Violence: The Drive Towards Existential Liberation 

How should we understand the surge in extremist violence in the United States and beyond? Before fists are clenched, knives are thrown, and guns are fired, extremists are driven subconsciously by the illusory power of world-making that centers on imaginaries of social groups, historical processes, and large-scale systems. Such a drive is motivated psychologically by the allure of existential emancipation, as if transcending the world’s complexity, inscrutability, uncertainty, and unpredictability. Underpinning this drive are four social-psychological processes for apprehension. In this session, panelists examine the power of existential liberation through the following studies: 

• “Paranoia over Patriotism: A Thematic Analysis of Oath Keepers’ Extremist Narratives” demonstrates how the leadership of the Oath Keepers created an extremist identity group bolstered by shared paranoia that privileges the collective glories of American patriotism. 
• “The Blood Equation and Condensation Model: Emotional Fulfillment Through Violence Among Ex-ISIS Fighters Inside Iraqi Prisons” explains how the violence of former ISIS militants reflects deep psychological needs among jihadists. Using narrative grammar, Arabic linguistic nuances, and firsthand testimony, the model illustrates how more politically oriented alternatives often neglect the blood narratives, leading to misunderstandings of violence among jihadists. 
• “AI-Augmented Facilitation: Artificial Intelligence for a More Human Approach to Bridging Divides” introduces an AI chatbot trained in Root Narrative Theory as a support tool allowing a facilitator to “speak the language” of participants spanning the current ideological chasm. 

Speakers: 

• Dr. Daniel Rothbart, Druscilla French Chair of Conflict Analysis and Resolution 
• Director, Peace Lab, Polarization and Violence Transformed, Carter School 
• Elizabeth Landsdale, Graduate Student, Carter School 
• Dr. Suha Hassen, Alumnus, Carter School 
• Randy Lioz, Graduate Student and Manager of the Peace Lab Polarization and Violence Transformed, Carter School.