Video Description

Most of us think of history’s darkest moments as senseless violence or cruelty. But as Professor Jiang of Peking University shows in this lecture, the truth runs deeper — sacrifice, taboo, and transgression have long been tools of power. In this clip from his class, Jiang explains why civilizations from the Aztecs and Romans to modern states turn to ritual and taboo, how “evil” can unify societies, and why the breaking of moral boundaries is so often tied to authority and survival. 0:00 Introduction – Why Discuss Evil? 1:10 Ritual Sacrifice in History 2:45 The Aztecs and Human Sacrifice 3:50 Phoenicians and Child Sacrifice 5:00 Rome and the Triumph of Death 6:40 Gaza and Modern Ritual Sacrifice 9:20 Taboo, Unity, and the “River Strategy” 12:40 The Monkey Island Thought Experiment 16:20 How Sacrifice Creates Cohesion 18:50 From Cohesion to Secret Elites 21:30 Conclusion – Why Atrocity Endures 🎓 Lecturer: Professor Jiang 🏛️ Institution: Peking University 📖 Full Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch/BtlWoqWLm9Q ⚖️ Educational & Copyright Disclaimer This video is for educational and informational purposes only. It contains excerpts from a publicly available lecture, which have been edited and transformed to highlight key ideas. All rights to the original lecture remain with Peking University and Professor Jiang. The Lecture Hall credits all sources and exists to make academic knowledge more accessible to a wider audience. #WhyEvilTriumphs #HiddenHistory #PekingUniversity #ProfessorJiang #PhilosophyLecture #HistoryOfEvil #EducationalClips #TheLectureHall