Abel's Prototype: Sociality as the Scaling of Aggression

Abstract

The article explores the prototype of Abel in connection with the figures of Cain and Moses, building on the methodological approach of Lipot Szondi. The author delves into defining Abel's characteristics as a radical by comparing six different forms or possibilities of fate, exploring attributes such as "change," and examining the system of censorship as a determinant of drive dynamics. The identified functional characteristics of Abel's radical include (a) obedience; (b) inclination toward sacrifice; (с) patience; (d) altruism; (e) diligence; (f) willingness to give and sacrifice; (g) self-mobilization; (h) adaptive thinking; (i) devotion to God, kin, and community; (j) enforcer of moral standards; (k) the prototype of a martyr. Abel's type is marked by a reduction in rational censorship and the surrender of one's own understanding of life, transferring responsibility for one's life to figures like Cain or Moses. The victim with a martyr-like character is conditioned to endure adversity. The Abel-like image grants access to social advancement in authoritarian societies where individuals may not confront Cain directly. Abel exhibits a prevailing heteronomy, emphasizing the significance of external circumstances and socio-cultural norms over personal autonomy and goal-setting. In contrast, Cain and Moses emphasize autonomy, with Moses reconciling the contradiction into theonomy (religious leadership in the rational incorporation of the spiritual), while Cain is dominated by the autonomy of affects (such as anger and envy) with reduced rationality. In a collective sense, Abel serves Cain or Moses through sociality, adaptability, obedience, and sacrifice, contributing to the scaling of destructive or constructive aggression. Abel shifts responsibility to the larger entities of which he is a part, emphasizing belonging and partisanship in the collective context.