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From one of Italy’s most renowned philosophers and psychoanalysts, an urgent and stirring reflection on violence, morality, and our relationship with the Other
What lies at the foundation of human history and society? According to Massimo Recalcati, it is not love for one’s neighbor, as preached by Jesus in the Gospels, but the brutality, jealousy, and violence depicted in the story of Cain and Abel.
As timely as it is brilliant, this essay examines Cain’s murderous act through the lens of psychoanalysis, showing how delusions of self-sufficiency and individual perfection lie at the deepest roots of fear and violence in our societies.
True completeness can only be achieved through others—not despite them. This, argues Recalcati, is the lesson of Cain, one that resonates powerfully in our time.
“Recalcati explores the most fundamental of questions—for Cain, Abel, and every human being: can we believe in love?”—La Stampa
Praise for Cain’s Act and Massimo Recalcati
“The ideas stimulate... Cain’s Act provides plenty to ponder.”—Publishers Weekly
“Although a succinct monograph, this book is a carefully deliberative and stimulating study of ethics—people’s approach to others, violence, and the underpinning drives of human life... A rich interpretation with a depth of ethical implications, expressed clearly in Will Schutt’s translation.”—Library Journal
“A brilliant, stirring analysis.”—La Stampa on The Night in Gethsemane
“A book that reads in less than two hours but stays with you forever.”—Il Foglio on The Night in Gethsemane
“Lively and sharp . . . An invitation to look positively at the loneliness of human experience.”—Lettera on The Night in Gethsemane