JohnDB
Member
- Aug 16, 2015
- 9,065
- 5,725
I watched a movie on Netflix last night about a guy who was researching morality and ethics.... He was curious about how people can commit atrocities.
So he set up a false study about punishment and learning where the "teacher" had to give the "learner" Electric shocks when they got the answers wrong.
What the subject didn't know was that the learner was a paid actor who acted like the shocks were killing him.
Every time in the initial experiment the teacher went through all the increased voltages and were immune to the learners screams and cries. Appearing to kill the learner.....not a one of the subjects opened the door to check on the learner to see if he was OK during or after the experiment.
World-wide the studies showed 65% of people killed the learner. "They followed orders" regardless of any inducement or lack of retribution for any choice of actions. Granted, the person "giving the orders" was standing right there...
So I was wondering about those, including me, who proudly say that we follow orders...as if we did right.
So he set up a false study about punishment and learning where the "teacher" had to give the "learner" Electric shocks when they got the answers wrong.
What the subject didn't know was that the learner was a paid actor who acted like the shocks were killing him.
Every time in the initial experiment the teacher went through all the increased voltages and were immune to the learners screams and cries. Appearing to kill the learner.....not a one of the subjects opened the door to check on the learner to see if he was OK during or after the experiment.
World-wide the studies showed 65% of people killed the learner. "They followed orders" regardless of any inducement or lack of retribution for any choice of actions. Granted, the person "giving the orders" was standing right there...
So I was wondering about those, including me, who proudly say that we follow orders...as if we did right.