On Killing

Hailed upon its first publication as a landmark study of the military techniques used to overcome an aversion to killing, On Killing argues that these techniques carry significant psychological cost for the soldiers who experience them, and for society more broadly. Indeed, Grossman argues that contemporary civilian society’s predilection for replicating military conditioning strategies has precipitated rising rates of murder amongst young people. In the 2009 update to this text, Grossman includes further information on 21st Century military conflicts, suicide bombings, school shootings and more; however, there are concerns about the validity of these claims. Grossman’s reliance upon the research of S.L.A Marshall, which has been thoroughly disproven, has been critiqued by other historians and academics, who also note that On Killing’s central theories are inconsistent with the broader fields of research into human behaviour. This text should be approached by the reader with a sharply critical eye.