How Evil Are You?

[SirDeadly]

Hey guys for uni I have to do an hour long presentation about social and moral development. A part of this presentation includes something called the Milgram Experiment. Test subjects had to administer electric shocks to another person whenever they got a question wrong with the voltage increasing every time. Below is a short video that explains what I am talking about.

Spoiler

Feel free to watch the entire episode if you wish.

My question to you guys is what do you think you would do in that situation? Would you continue the experiment or would you refuse to do so? I know most of this is only theoretical as in a real life situation you might chose something different to what you answer here.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Vegosiux]

*sigh* I'm sorry, but you don't seem to know the first thing about that particular experiment if you think it's about "how evil" one is (note: this is the general "you"). It's about "how obedient one is even when ordered to do things that conflict their conscience." Seriously, the media and sensationalism...that needs to be purged

Needless to say, the researchers were flabbergasted by the results.

 

[SirDeadly]

*sigh* I'm sorry, but you don't seem to know the first thing about that particular experiment if you think it's about "how evil" one is (note: this is the general "you"). It's about "how obedient one is even when ordered to do things that conflict their conscience." Seriously, the media and sensationalism...that needs to be purged

Needless to say, the researchers were flabbergasted by the results.

I titled the post How Evil Are You because that's the name of the video and it would attract attention.

 

[Vegosiux]

*sigh* I'm sorry, but you don't seem to know the first thing about that particular experiment if you think it's about "how evil" one is (note: this is the general "you"). It's about "how obedient one is even when ordered to do things that conflict their conscience." Seriously, the media and sensationalism...that needs to be purged

Needless to say, the researchers were flabbergasted by the results.

I titled the post How Evil Are You because that's the name of the video and it would attract attention.

Hence my rant on sensationalism *nods*

But you know, right now, I suspect pretty much everyone will say that there's no way they'd go all the way to the end, and would walk out of the room. Curiously, that's what the expected result of the experiment was. But, in reality, the result was...well...scarier.

 

[ClockworkPenguin]

I heard that only about 35% of people refuse to go through with it. But I bet if you polled it 90% would say they would be in that 35%.

Personally, whilst I like to think of myself as being a bastion of morality and integrity, I do tend to be cowed by authority, so I probably would do it, no doubt convincing myself that they knew what they were doing and wouldn't really let me hurt someone.

 

[krazykidd]

Hey guys for uni I have to do an hour long presentation about social and moral development. A part of this presentation includes something called the Milgram Experiment. Test subjects had to administer electric shocks to another person whenever they got a question wrong with the voltage increasing every time. Below is a short video that explains what I am talking about.

Spoiler

Feel free to watch the entire episode if you wish.

My question to you guys is what do you think you would do in that situation? Would you continue the experiment or would you refuse to do so? I know most of this is only theoretical as in a real life situation you might chose something different to what you answer here.

Thanks for your help.

Isn't that perticilar experiement to prove that people more often that not would trample on their morals if someone of authority were pressuring them ? When german soldiers from the whent to court they usually said something along the lines of "i was ordered to do it" ( or something like that ). Meaning that most people ( if not all ) would say no , but in the actual situation they would end up doing it ? Thus asking if people would do it the common reply would be no?

Anyways . I think i would . I crumble pretty easy under pressure .

Edit : as for morality . I personally think morality is a made up thing to make people feel good about themselves compared to other people . Morality is subjective, therefor it is different for every person , hence it doesn't truely exist . You do what you feel is right for no logical reason.

 

[LoFr3Eq]

A good read about this is 'Superfreakonomics', talking about greed and altruism in the lab, and how people act usually more good in the lab because someone in a white coat is watching them, sort of an opposite of the Milgram experiment.

The overall message in this book is 'people respond to incentives'. And people on average are not evil, they just prefer to have the better deal.

 

[wintercoat]

I heard that only about 35% of people refuse to go through with it. But I bet if you polled it 90% would say they would be in that 35%.

Personally, whilst I like to think of myself as being a bastion of morality and integrity, I do tend to be cowed by authority, so I probably would do it, no doubt convincing myself that they knew what they were doing and wouldn't really let me hurt someone.

You know what's funny? I'm in that last little 10%. I would go til that last switch was flipped. The cries of pain wouldn't bother me. I'm rather cold emotionally when it comes to something like this.

 

[Strazdas]

I wouldnt do it because somone ordered me to. I would do it because its fun!

 

[DoPo]

I refuse to answer loaded misleading questions. No offence OP, I just hate that.

 

[DoPo]

I refuse to answer loaded misleading questions. No offence OP, I just hate that.

And this makes you EVIL DoPo. Don't you know? Hate leads to the Dark Side.

But is the Dark side evil? Sure Anakin/Darth Vader went in and slaughtered some kids and did some other bad stuff, but he only followed orders. It's not too different from this experiment. The Dark side gets a lot of bad rap over a few pricks. And the name. I think it's mainly the name. So what? Their marketing department is crap, you don't need to condemn all of them for it.

I find your lack of fate in the Dark side disturbing.

Also, I'm now renaming it to Misunderstood side.

 

[Hazy992]

The Milgram experiment isn't about evil you are, it's about the influence authority has on behaviour

 

[Hazy992]

And besides I can't answer that as I have absolutely no idea what I'd do in that situation

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

I obviously wouldn't, because I know that psychologists are always just trying to fuck with you if they bring you into a room and tell you to flip switches. They just want you to know for the rest of your life that yes, if push came to shove, you would kill for an authority figure, thus why this experiment is so absurdly unethical. Now I can't really be certain that I would quit if I was put into that situation and did not know the psychologists were trying to make me have terrifying nightmares for the rest of my life, but I think I would. In fact, a large fraction of modern individuals would, as such absurd degrees of conformity are largely a thing of the past. The thing that always bothered me about the videos is that nobody ever seems at ease doing his, but they go through with it anyway. It always scares me.

 

[Freechoice]

One of the ways to circumvent the experiment is knowing the parameters of the experiment. Did the participant sign anything? Are you free to stop if you are uncomfortable? Where are the electrodes on the subject's (the other subject) body?

Here's the critical one though.
At what voltage does an electric shock cause substantial trauma?

Having ethical fortitude isn't a necessity. You just need to know the highest ground and hold it. Knowing stuff helps that. Also, never agree to anything you didn't ask a lot of questions about.

I refuse to answer loaded misleading questions. No offence OP, I just hate that.

This is a smart person. Here, have this taser [http://www.worldlawdirect.com/forum/attachments/law-wiki/157d1279229688-taser-lawsuits-taser.jpg].

 

[BloatedGuppy]

It's been argued that the results of the experiment don't demonstrate people's inability to refuse authority so much as people's willingness to trust "experts" over their own perceptions. They're told repeatedly that the shocks aren't causing any real harm. Which, as it turns out, was completely correct.

 

[370999]

And besides I can't answer that as I have absolutely no idea what I'd do in that situation

I will also say isn't the cat out of the bag on it, I thought it had reached a point where it was pretty well ingrained into the public memory.

And yes, nobody can properly answer that question.

 

[Jonluw]

Compleeeeeetely depends on the circumstances involved.
Is the person being shocked asking me to stop? Are they volunteering for this? Is there a safe word? Is the person asking me to do this a real authority figure or a bullshit psychologist? etc.

 

[TehCookie]

I'm not that evil according to that. I have no problem watching people in pain as long as I'm not involved, but I can't inflict it. Also if the patient who volunteered for the experiment asked me to stop I would, it's their choice to be there and their choice to leave. Then again I also have no respect for society's authority. I'll judge them as a person myself and give them the respect they deserve, their rank/education/status means nothing to me.