ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book was published in German in 1926. It had been written in 1923. The book mentions these dates in order to explain the pains taking suppression of the emotional moment. The combination of the specific and the general, and more particularly the fact that the specific question was the point of departure, had, apart from the external circumstances which caused lack of interest, another undesirable result with regard to the book itself. It talks about "The Origin of Hate" might turn out slightly different. It certainly could not have been omitted. The book was written after the first world war, when, despite mutual destruction on a grand scale, human passion seemed to respect limitations to ferocity which in the light of recent experience must be considered severe.
