Why the Middle Ages Were a Paradise for Psychopaths

From Medieval Mindset

Did a lack of modern forensics and DNA testing make the Middle Ages the ultimate playground for a complete psychopath? In this episode of Medieval Mindset, we explore how medieval society's heavy reliance on religious oaths, honor, and public reputation created massive blind spots for manipulative people.

We break down the terrifying true story of Thomas de Marle, a First Crusade veteran turned rogue French lord who became the poster child for everything a chivalrous knight shouldn't be. We also dive into the high-stakes political betrayals between King Henry II and King Louis VII, look at Thomas Aquinas’s groundbreaking realization about those who sin "from malice" (ex malitia), and explore how everyday peasants used sheer audacity to pull off massive identity theft, like the false Baldwin of Flanders and the infamous Martin Guerre. MERCH: https://www.medievalmindset.com PATREON:   / medievalmindset   TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Getting Away with Crime Before Modern Forensics 0:45 - The Dark Triad and the Psychopathic Knight 4:27 - Synderesis: The Medieval Blind Spot 5:56 - King Henry II, Louis VII, & Royal Betrayals 7:29 - Thomas Aquinas & The Categories of Evil 11:19 - Peasant Impostors: The False Baldwin & Martin Guerre 15:09 - Why You Shouldn't Romanticize the Middle Ages WORKS CITED Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Benziger Bros., 1947. Davis, Natalie Zemon. The Return of Martin Guerre. Harvard University Press, 1983. Guibert, of Nogent. A Monk's Confession: The Memoirs of Guibert of Nogent. Translated by Paul J. Archambault, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1996. Wickham, Chris. Medieval Europe. Yale University Press, 2016. Muzzey, David Saville. “Medieval Morals.” International Journal of Ethics, vol. 17, no. 1, 1906, pp. 29–47. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2376098.