Cain's Act

From one of Italy's most renowned philosophers and psychoanalysts, an urgent and stirring reflection on violence, morality, and our relationship with the Other

What lies at the foundation of human history and society? According to Massimo Recalcati, it is not love for one's neighbor, as preached by Jesus in the Gospels, but the brutality, jealousy, and violence depicted in the story of Cain and Abel.

As timely as it is brilliant, this essay examines Cain's murderous act through the lens of psychoanalysis, showing how delusions of self-sufficiency and individual perfection lie at the deepest roots of fear and violence in our societies.

True completeness can only be achieved through others—not despite them. This, argues Recalcati, is the lesson of Cain, one that resonates powerfully in our time.

"Recalcati explores the most fundamental of questions—for Cain, Abel, and every human being: can we believe in love?"—La Stampa