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The dangerous seduction: How ideologies control our brain!
On June 10th, the scientist Leor Zmigrod will present her book about ideologies and extremism at the University of Frankfurt.
The dangerous seduction: How ideologies control our brain!
On June 10, 2025, the book “The Ideological Brain” by the scientist Leor Zmigrod will be presented in the Renate von Metztler Hall at Goethe University. Zmigrod, a leading expert in the field of political neurobiology, illuminates the connection between ideologies, the human brain and extremist beliefs in her work. Her research is considered groundbreaking in the scientific community because it shows how neurobiological predispositions can make people susceptible to extremist beliefs. These findings could provide important impetus for understanding political extremism.
The event, which begins at 6 p.m., will be moderated by Martin Saar, Professor of Social Philosophy, and will be in English. The book launch is organized in collaboration with Suhrkamp-Verlag, which underlines the relevance and influence of Zmigrod's research. Zmigrod has been working at the University of Cambridge since 2019. She can also look back on an impressive career that took her as a visiting fellow at renowned institutions such as Stanford, Harvard and in Paris. Forbes Magazine lists her as one of the 30 most influential people under 30.
The context of political extremism
Leor Zmigrod's research is part of a larger discourse on political extremism. At the IfE at the Technical University of Dresden, various research projects that deal with the development of extremist ideologies are intensively dealt with. In particular, the conditions for the success of right-wing extremist parties and the mechanisms of politically motivated violence are the focus of these studies. Through an intersectional perspective, the victimhood of vulnerable groups, such as women and children, in non-democratic regimes is examined.
In recent years, interdisciplinary cooperation projects have also been launched. These focus on social integration, migration and political-cultural polarization processes. Furthermore, HAIT has established a new research topic that deals with civil society actors in the protection of democracy in modern constitutional states. The scientific independence of the researchers who advise civil society groups and government agencies is also emphasized.
Research and collaboration
The comprehensive study of extremism includes a global regime dataset covering the period from 1900 to the present. The key scientists involved in these projects include Prof. Dr. Uwe Backes, Dr. Manuela Beyer, and PD Dr. Steffen Kailitz. Their interdisciplinary collaboration contributes to creating a deeper understanding and is essential to effectively address the challenges of political extremism.
The connection between Zmigrod's research and the current projects at HAIT shows how important it is not only to understand the phenomenon of extremism, but also to develop strategies to counter it. Every piece of knowledge can contribute to prevention and the promotion of a tolerant society.
For more information about Zmigrod's book and the June 10th event, you can visit the websites puk.uni-frankfurt.de, suhrkamp.de and hait.tu-dresden.de visit.