Saddam Hussein

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the personality of Saddam Hussein by considering that personality within the context of B.F. Skinner's theories and musings about behaviorism. The paper briefly outlines some of the salient points of Skinner's theory and then turns to a review of Saddam Hussein's life from his childhood to his blood-stained adulthood. The paper also notes how Saddam's childhood preoccupations with not being cast aside or mistreated fed a massive insecurity complex that made every reversal--however inconsequential--a potentially lethal thrust that needed to parried at any cost.

From the Paper:

"There are few things as interesting as the human mind and there is possibly no discipline that is more difficult and potentially error-filled than psychology - precisely because it is the study of the human mind. The following paper will examine the psychological make-up of Saddam Hussein and analyze his actions according to the behaviorist theories of B.F. Skinner. Specifically, time will be set aside exploring what factors in Saddam's formative environment created the brutal dictator who destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives within his own land and threatened the lives of many more outside Iraq's borders. Suffice it to say, for any such discussion to have merit, it is necessary to look at the childhood, adolescence and early adulthood of the man who would, in a very real sense, become monster. In effect, to the extent that Saddam's story is also the story of Iraq..."

More papers on Saddam Hussein:

• Research Paper # 91450 : "The Hanging of Saddam Hussein"
• Term Paper # 91452 : "Death Penalty - The Execution of Saddam Hussein"
• Analytical Essay # 118451 : "Saddam Hussein's Personality Development"

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