Obedience to Authority Essay - 1331 Words

Most people would like to think that they would never do anything to intentionally hurt another human being. However history has shown that human nature does not always prevail with the best outcomes. The following experiments and real life events all reflect that human beings succumb to obedience even when common sense tells them that what they are doing is wrong. Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment, Milgram’s electric shock study, and the scandal surrounding Abu Ghraib are reflections on the outcome of obeying a command regardless of the results and why someone would do so. An experiment by Zimbardo provided insight on how a regular person changes roles when placed within a specific social setting. The Stanford Prison Experiment was†¦show more content†¦The next experiment focuses on obedience and why the tests subjects reacted the way they did. Stanley Milgram reflects on the study conducted and the outcomes of the electric shock study in an article titled â€Å"The Perils of Obedience†. The experiment calls for a teacher participant to do word association with a learner. When an incorrect answer is given by the learner, the teacher is under the instruction to administer electric shock on an upwards scale as the experiment continues. There comes a point in the experiment when the teachers feel uncomfortable continuing to shock the learner. Many times though the teacher continues at the urging of an individual overseeing the experiment. The first experiment that Milgram conducted was using Yale undergraduates, the results reflected â€Å"about 60 percent of them being fully obedient (696).† Another experiment was then conducted using â€Å"ordinary people† as the people of New Haven were labeled (Milgram 696). Milgram made the following statement about the results: â€Å"The experiment’s total outcome was the same as we had observed among the students (696).† The study did reflect that even though a person did not agree with the commands especially when putting another individual through he or she did as told more than half of the time. More studies were conducted around the world by other professors; many of the experiments had the same or similar results. There is one study that was conducted that hasShow MoreRelatedObedience to Authority1250 Words   |  5 PagesObedience to Authority No human social organization can function without some degree of obedience to authority, as the alternative would be anarchy leading to total chaos. Hence we find some sort of a hierarchy in both the most underdeveloped and the most civilized societies where certain individuals exercise authority over others. Almost everyone will agree that some degree of authority in certain individuals or groups (and their obedience by other groups) is desirable for the proper functioningRead MoreObedience to Authority1260 Words   |  6 PagesObedience to Authority No human social organization can function without some degree of obedience to authority, as the alternative would be anarchy leading to total chaos. Hence we find some sort of a hierarchy in both the most underdeveloped and the most civilized societies where certain individuals exercise authority over others. Almost everyone will agree that some degree of authority in certain individuals or groups (and their obedience by other groups) is desirable for the properRead MoreObedience to Authority Essays836 Words   |  4 Pageshuman being’s life; along with this, is the expectation of obedience to that authority. Through this obedience, many great things have been accomplished, as well as many instances of cruel and immoral acts. Defiance of the established authority, though, has also lead to great things, such as the creation and founding of the United States of America. In his writing, Obedience to Authority, Stanley Milgram examines the obedience to authority without question ing or taking responsibility and the problemsRead MoreEssay on Authority and Obedience2310 Words   |  10 PagesAuthority and Obedience Thesis: We consciously or unconsciously obey authority in all walks of life on a daily basis. Obedience is when there is legitimate power, there is pressure to comply. Compliance with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraint or control. Authority being the legal or rightful power; a right to command or enforce obedience on another. This essay shall discuss, explore and evaluate the explanations as to why peopleRead MoreObedience to Authority Essay1816 Words   |  8 PagesAuthority cannot exist without obedience. Society is built on this small, but important concept. Without authority and its required obedience, there would only be anarchy and chaos. But how much is too much, or too little? There is a fine line between following blindly and irrational refusal to obey those in a meaningful position of authority. Obedience to authority is a real and powerful force that should be understood and respected in order to handle each situation in the best possible manner.Read MoreThe Problems Of Obedience And Authority1849 Words   |  8 PagesOctober 15, 2014 The Problems of Obedience to Authority People will do about anything to stay out of trouble when it comes to someone with authority that cannot be argued with. Stanley Milgram did an experiment on the topic of obedience to authority; he wanted to know how ordinary people could do horrible things if forced to by someone of authority. Obedience to authority is instinctual for human beings, there has and will always be someone with a higher authority than ourselves. How can normal,Read MoreEssay on Obedience to Authority574 Words   |  3 PagesObedience to Authority Today our society raises us to believe that obedience is good and disobedience is bad. We are taught that we should all do what we’re told and that the people that are disobedient are almost always bad people. Society tells us this, but it is not true. Most people will even be obedient to the point of causing harm to others, because to be disobedient requires the courage to be alone against authority. In Stanley Milgram’s Perils of Obedience experiment, his studiesRead MoreThe Blind Obedience And Authority1237 Words   |  5 PagesBlind Obedience to Authority Millions of people were killed in Nazi Germany in concentration camps however, Hitler wouldn’t have been able to kill them all, nor could just a handful of people. Obedience is when society influences where/ when an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, who is usually the authority figure. It is assumed that without such an order the person would not have acted in this way. In order to obey authority, the obeying person has to acceptRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Obedience And Authority Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesof â€Å"Obedience to Authority,† Milgram aptly points out that â€Å"some system of authority is a requirement of all communal living†(Milgram 1). This is a universal human truth. Authority is something that humanity, from the beginning of time, has consistently relied upon. Milgram argues that â€Å"obedience is the psychological mechanism that links individual action to political purpose† and that it is the â€Å"dispositional cement that binds men to systems of authority† (Milgram 1). I argue that obedience is asRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Obedience And Authority Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pages Part I: Research paper topic and outline Obedience to Authority Abbygale Javier [IT 150G, 14111; On-line; Elizabeth Rasnick; September 29, 2016] I. Introduction A. Motivation of this research There are little facts about the role of obedience up until now. Psychologists have been debating on factors that constitute obedience within an individual. For example, certain theories suggest that people do horrible actions only if they are ordered to do so. Research has shown that most people obey all