Why We Hate

Summary

In the opening episode, Origins, evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare and researcher Vanessa Woods trace hatred back to natural selection. They explain that deep cooperation and love within a group helped humans succeed, but this came with competition and hostility toward outsiders. The second episode, Tribalism, features psychologist Laurie Santos examining why people split the world into “us” and “them.” Group psychology reveals how tribalism encourages affection for one’s own group and can spark hatred for others, influencing how we see the world.

The third episode, Tools & Tactics, has journalist Jelani Cobb exploring how hatred isn’t automatic—it’s often deliberately stirred up through propaganda methods like dehumanization and symbols. In Extremism, the fourth episode, expert Sasha Havlicek investigates what pushes people toward hateful extremist beliefs and what can lead them away. The fifth episode, Crimes against Humanity, follows international lawyer Patricia Viseur Sellers as she examines genocides and mass atrocities, looking at both perpetrators and those who refused to hate.

Finally, in Hope, neuroscientist Emile Bruneau demonstrates how critical thinking, education, and cooperation can fight hatred.

Production

Spielberg has long been interested in an exploration of humanity's capacity for hatred and how it can be overcome. According to Spielberg, "Getting to the root of the human condition is something I find not only fascinating, but absolutely necessary in understanding who we are.

With the team in place, we delve into historical and modern-day stories of hate, traveling around the globe to uncover its mystery in others and in ourselves. If we understand why we act the way we do, we can change the way we act. That is what we are uniquely capable of as human beings." Why We Hate has been in development for the past four years.

Did You Know?

• The series was produced by both Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions.
• A TV special titled Why We Hate: The Reckoning was announced on June 17, 2020, to premiere four days later.
• Spielberg stated that the series had been in development for the past four years.