Genocide vs. Omnicide — What's the Difference?

Systematic extermination of a racial or cultural group.

Linked with existential threats and security.

A process involving mass killings, serious bodily or mental harm.

Theoretical total extinction of humans.

A crime under international law.

Ethical and philosophical implications.

A focus on ethnic, racial, religious, or national groups.

Not limited to any specific group.

Acts committed with intent to destroy a specific group.

A concept in discussions of global catastrophic risks.

Genocide is the intentional action to destroy a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. A term coined by Raphael Lemkin in his 1944 book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, the hybrid word geno-cide is a combination of the Greek word γένος (genos, "race, people") and the Latin suffix -caedo ("act of killing").The United Nations Genocide Convention, which was established in 1948, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such" including the killing of its members, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately imposing living conditions that seek to "bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part", preventing births, or forcibly transferring children out of the group to another group.

The total extinction of the human species as a result of human action. Most commonly it refers to human extinction through nuclear warfare, but it can also refer to such extinction through other means such as global anthropogenic ecological catastrophe.

The systematic and widespread extermination or attempted extermination of a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group.

The systematic killing of substantial numbers of people on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, or nationality.

(by extension) The systematic killing of substantial numbers of people on other grounds.

(by extension) The systematic suppression of ideas or practices on the basis of cultural or ethnic origin; culturicide.

The elimination of an entire class of monsters by the player.

(transitive) To commit genocide (against); to eliminate (a group of people) completely.

The systematic killing of a racial or cultural group; as, the Nazi genocide of Jews left few in Germany or Poland after World War II.

Systematic killing of a racial or cultural group

Genocide is specifically targeted at groups identified by certain immutable characteristics, unlike broader forms of mass violence that may be politically or economically motivated.

Omnicide refers to the total annihilation of all humans, potentially resulting from catastrophic events or technologies.

Genocide can be committed by state actors, such as governments, or by non-state actors under certain conditions.

Genocide is the intentional act to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.

Genocide is recognized as a crime under international law, with specific treaties like the UN Genocide Convention outlining its prevention and punishment.

Preventing omnicide involves global cooperation on arms control, stringent regulations on high-risk technologies, and international efforts to mitigate environmental risks.

Survivors of genocide often experience profound trauma, loss, and disruptions to their cultural and social fabric.

Ethical considerations in preventing omnicide involve the responsibility to safeguard future generations and preserve human existence.

While there are no real instances of omnicide, theoretical scenarios include global nuclear wars or irreversible climate catastrophes.

International courts prosecute individuals accused of genocide, aiming to provide justice for victims and deter future atrocities.

Yes, omnicide is discussed in contexts like international disarmament forums, debates on artificial intelligence, and discussions on environmental sustainability.

Preventive measures include ethical guidelines for AI development, biosecurity measures, and international cooperation on technology governance.

The long-term impacts of genocide include demographic changes, societal fragmentation, and often prolonged conflicts or grievances.

In environmental debates, omnicide is used to underscore the potential extreme outcomes of ecological destruction and climate change.

Yes, genocide can also involve methods like causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about a group's destruction.