Autoimmune conditions are a set of diseases that include rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. They are caused by our immune systems misidentifying cells and tissues in our bodies as harmful invaders; what is supposed to protect us ends up attacking us. Researchers have highlighted that autoimmune conditions are on the rise (Conrad et al., 2023). The growing threat that autoimmune conditions pose to humans provides a powerful analogue for a process that threatens humanity – dehumanization.

Dehumanization is the process by which people fail to recognize and respect the humanity of others. Levels of empathy and compassion are eroded and moral constraints on behaviour are loosened. This can manifest in a range of malignant behaviours including prejudice, discrimination, violence, enslavement and genocide. Dehumanization can be likened to an ‘autohumane condition’; humanity attacks itself.

Different theories have been proposed to explain dehumanization. The ‘social neuroscience’ theory of dehumanization proposes that it arises from a failure to recognise that other people possess their own beliefs, aspirations and intentions (Harris & Fiske, 2006; 2011). Additionally, the ‘dual model’ of dehumanization (Haslam, 2006) proposes two distinct forms of dehumanization that develop through different pathways:

Research studies have provided support for the ‘dual model’ of dehumanization. For example, a study that investigated Italian participants' willingness to help people in the aftermath of natural disasters in Haiti and Japan found that they were more likely to animalistically dehumanize Haitian people and mechanistically dehumanize Japanese people (Andrighetto et al., 2014). However, research investigating the ‘dual model’ of dehumanization has attracted some criticism. Research studies have tended to focus more on differences in socially desirable traits, including kindness and honesty, as........

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