A purity spiral is a theory which argues for the existence of a form of
groupthink
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesivenes ...
in which it becomes more beneficial to hold certain views than to not hold them, and more extreme views are rewarded while expressing doubt, nuance, or moderation is punished (a process sometimes called "moral outbidding").
It is argued that this feedback loop leads to members competing to demonstrate the zealotry or purity of their views.
A purity spiral is argued to occur when a community's primary focus becomes implementing a single value that has no upper limit, and where that value does not have an agreed interpretation.
History
The term purity spiral was coined in one of the first systematic sociological accounts of
victimhood culture, ''
The Rise of Victimhood Culture: Microaggressions, Safe Spaces, and the New Culture Wars'', where it is described as a form of infighting among both activists and members of victim groups.
In a 2020
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
documentary about purity spirals, British journalist Gavin Haynes said that purity spirals punish people for "the most minor transgressions," and noted that they make it socially unacceptable to express a preference contrary to the group's.
Turkish-American academic
Timur Kuran
Timur Kuran is a Turkish-American economist and political scientist currently serving as a professor of Economics and Political Science, and Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University. His research lies at the intersection of ...
described this phenomenon in his 1995 book ''Private Truth, Public Lies'', calling it
preference falsification
Preference falsification is the act of misrepresenting a preference under perceived public pressure. It involves the selection of a publicly expressed preference that differs from the underlying privately held preference (or simply, a public prefer ...
, and further noted the lack of incentives and systems to disrupt purity spirals, pointing out that even a small amount of opposition or doubt can lead to a greater wave of questioning within the group. French philosopher
René Girard
René Noël Théophile Girard (; ; 25 December 1923 – 4 November 2015) was a French-American historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science whose work belongs to the tradition of philosophical anthropology. Girard was the a ...
also described many of the principles of the purity spiral, including
mimetic rivalry and the
scapegoat mechanism, in his 1972 book ''
Violence and the Sacred
''Violence and the Sacred'' () is a 1972 book about the sacred by the French critic René Girard, in which the author explores the ritual role of sacrifice. The book received both positive reviews, which praised Girard's theory of the sacred, an ...
.''
Notable examples
Some examples of settings, groups, and eras where purity spirals have occurred:
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The Khmer Rouge
*
The Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
,
Mao's Red Guard
The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes
According to a ...
and
mass denunciation
Struggle sessions (), or denunciation rallies or struggle meetings, were violent public spectacles in Maoist China where people accused of being "class enemies" were publicly humiliated, accused, beaten and tortured, sometimes to death, often b ...
s
*
The French revolution
* Instagram
knitting
Knitting is a method for production of textile Knitted fabric, fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done Hand knitting, by hand or Knitting machi ...
circles
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Stalin's Show Trials - demonstration of increasingly extreme loyalty tests are required to maintain normalcy.
*
Madkhalism
Madkhalism is a strain of quietist thought within the larger Salafi movement characterised by monarchism and loyalty to secular and authoritarian governments in the Arab world,ICG Middle East Report N°31Saudi Arabia Backgrounder: Who Are the Is ...
*
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is a political practice defined by the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a Fear mongering, campaign spreading fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and of Soviet espionage i ...
See also
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References
[Gavin Haynes.]
How knitters got knotted in a purity spiral
, ''UnHerd
''UnHerd'' is a British news and opinion website founded in July 2017 which describes itself as a platform for slow journalism.
History
''UnHerd'' was founded in 2017 by the hedge fund manager Paul Marshall as its owner and publisher and co ...
'', 30 January 2020.
[Gavin Haynes.]
The purity spiral
, '' Spiked'', 10 February 2020.
[Gavin Haynes.]
The purity spiral: how the woke police are ruining Young Adult publishing
(archived), ''The Telegraph'', 10 February 2020.
[Gavin Haynes.]
The Purity Spiral
, BBC, 11 February 2020.
{{conformity
Social dynamics
Social phenomena
Group processes
Barriers to critical thinking
1990s neologisms