When Moral Bells Don't Ring: Dehumanization, Disgust, and Spectacle Lynching.

The article examines the lynching of African Americans, particularly the extreme "spectacle lynchings" characterized by prolonged torture and public celebration, arguing that both structural (economic, political, cultural) and psychological factors are necessary to understand this brutal behavior. It highlights how dehumanizing stereotypes—especially the association of Black men with bestial hypersexuality, known as the "Black-beast-rapist" myth—elicited a deep emotional response of bodily moral disgust (BMD), which suppressed normal moral inhibitions against cruelty. While structural explanations emphasize social control and economic competition, the article stresses that individual emotions triggered by these racist tropes played a critical role in enabling such violence. This dual-level approach to understanding lynching also has implications for addressing contemporary hate crimes and racial violence, suggesting that interventions must consider both societal structures and the powerful emotional reactions rooted in dehumanizing associations.