Introduction
A deadly plague in Medieval Europe was a pandemic, but people who experienced it knew almost nothing about it. Assumptions about the plague came from beliefs related to religion and the current state of the monarchy. Some people believed that the plague resulted from many violations of God’s covenants and sins, so God sent the disease to society (Spielvogel, 2019). At the same time, there was a prevalence of beliefs in conspiracy theories and the government’s desire to control population growth.
Rise of Antisemitism Caused by the Plague
In addition, during the pandemic, people blamed others, especially Jews, whom many Christians feared in these times (Spielvogel, 2019). They usually lived apart from the Christian population, and people often treated them as scapegoats in case of trouble. People believed that Jews should be punished and attacked based on simple assumptions and guided by aggressive emotions.
Modern Implications
One can see how a lack of explicit, evidence-based knowledge, combined with prejudices and obscurantism, can lead to mass deaths that cannot be stopped. Jews, who had no connection with the pandemic, were blamed for it, and antisemitic views rose significantly in these times (Spielvogel, 2019). It is tempting to decide that similar events are impossible today, as our age is much more enlightened. However, problems of prejudices and xenophobia still exist, and while scientific proof is much more abundant today, some people ignore it. During intense stress, reflections weaken, while aggressiveness rises as the organism tries to survive.
Conclusion
Thus, blaming someone for problems and making quick and incorrect decisions is much easier than becoming familiar with the situation and utilizing it in times of stress, leading to mass hysteria. Fortunately, we live in times when naturalistic and humanitarian knowledge is much more abundant than in the 14th century. Therefore, we have many tools to solve natural problems, such as pandemics, and humanitarian ones, such as racism, xenophobia, and scapegoating.
Reference
Spielvogel, J. J. (2019). Western Civilization: A Brief History (Vol. 1). (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.