The Psychological Explanation of the Death Experiment

Josie 2021-12-10 08:01:46

The evil is not done by the evil man. The psychologist Migram concluded from this: Those who only do their own work and are not hostile to others will also take on terrible destructive work. And knowing that their own sabotage may have a bad effect, they already feel that what they have done is in conflict with their basic ethics, and there are very few people who can choose to resist authority. It’s simpler than many people think. In fact, people don’t even need to do unrighteous things under much pressure or fear. They only need a small chain. It’s better to say “instruction” or say “yes”. Regardless of the constraints or obligations created by the "contract", it only takes a little bit, and a person can free himself from the burden of his own responsibility and enter a state of getting rid of moral restrictions. Arendt calls this state "no thoughts and no worries."

Bauman, a Polish sociologist who lived in exile in Britain in 1968, strongly revealed this mechanism of obedience. A person's cruelty has nothing to do with personality, but with the organization of power and obedience. When someone is absorbed into a system and accepts its rules of the game, it means that he joins an alliance. This alliance puts him in a more important position, while people outside the alliance are not important. In Migram’s experiment, the “victim” was taken into another room, which meant that an alliance between the “perpetrator” and the experimenter (representative of the experimental organization) was confirmed, which meant that they were The mutual responsibilities and solidarity between each other, even if this connection is only an hour. During this time, the "victim" is placed in a passive and enduring period, which is an object of action rather than a subject. As "objects", they are easily confused with "things". Their humanity requirements and qualities are irrelevant. What is important is that the tasks proposed by the system must be completed.

"Organization" members are responsible for the organization itself, not the world or other people outside the organization. In the "organization", he gains strength and meaning. If he leaves the "organization", he accomplishes nothing and turns into nothingness. Perhaps he can easily become an "object" like a "victim". So, striving to gain the trust of the "organization" is the most important. The establishment of this kind of trust relationship depends to a large extent on the degree of "members" allegiance to the "organization." The more he surrenders himself to the "organization" and mortgages himself to the "organization", it seems that he is safer and more secure. To what extent can it be shown that he completely surrendered himself to the "organization"? It was the moment when he cut off his conscience and morality. For what he did, he himself does not need to make a judgment on whether it is good or evil. Since the "organization" allows him to do so, the question of whether it is good or evil is guaranteed by the organization, and the ultimate responsibility is also by the organization. Come to bear it. His own interest shifted to another direction, that is, to improve his abilities, speed up the pace of completing the "task", and complete various designated actions witty and effectively. In Migram's experiment, the "perpetrator" handed over the moral safety valve to the experimental organization.
——Excerpt from "Pursuing a Moral Life Through Thinking"

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  • [last lines]

    Nachrichtensprecher: [voiceover - spoiler] The tragic outcome: two dead, three injured, among them project leader Professor Klaus Thon. Clearly, the experiment went out of control after two days. The district attorney is investigating two possible manslaughter charges and several charges of abuse and negligence. One of the test participants has been arrested. The project direction will probably have to answer to a court. According to statements by one of the scientists, the escalation might have been prevented by aborting the experiment earlier.

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