Dylan Precourt
Humans are creatures who do not like moral ambiguity. Throughout all of our history, out many conflicts devolve into a battle of “good” and “evil” which in reality lies solely upon one’s perspective and positioning in the conflict. But ultimately this idea of good and evil lies as a staple of our society, as we are taught to praise heroes and despise villains. But more realistically, in the world these distinctions are much vaguer, and the line between good and evil is much more fluid. One of my favorite quotes regarding this subject is that from the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, whence he uttered “We serial killers are your sons. We are your husbands. We are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow.” This quote is particularly chilling, as we find security in being able to clearly identify threats, but the complexity of evil is far too great to be able to definitively label things. In many ways, our national identity and understanding of WWII is staunch, as from our history we recognize the Nazi party and henceforth Germany as evil in much of our media. But yet again, conflicts do not establish themselves as particularly easy to label one side as good and the other as evil. Do understand, I am in no way writing off the horrors that the Nazi party brought, but rather trying to highlight a complexity in human moral values, and how our perspective based upon where we are positioned determine our outlook. The example I pose is of the Allied forces being portrayed as universally good throughout history, yet we have many cases of Allied forces committing crimes and morally flawed actions, such as rape, genocide, torture and other methods used to gain an advantage. both sides committed such actions, and the other would use those actions as examples to push an agenda of their morality, and how they are combating evil. From our position it is hard to believe that everyday people could be capable of horrible things, but there are so many factors that play on our cognition that lead to horrid actions. Thus, when we look back on history I pose that we at least attempt to look deeper into the reality of the situation and the context that people were placed in. Especially regarding conflict, it would be beneficial to look at the scenario facing those engaged in the conflict, see what is at risk for them and perhaps understand their motivations. For many Germans fighting in the armed forces during WWII, they were not necessarily under the guise of the Nazi party, but rather fighting a war that was promoted and propagated by elite that promised a better future and one that their children would be prosperous in. From the depths of poverty and despair from WWI, to prosperity after the immediate rise of the Nazi party, we must take a deeper look into motivations, rather than assuming that Germany was inherently evil during the time period of the second world war.
National identity and perspective can influence ones idea of evil, but in reality, the line between good and evil is very permeable. Just like the picture below, where one can see angels, one can also see demons. Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo has done much research in his career and is renowned for his insight into the human condition and what makes good people go bad. He argues that people are not innately bad, but are rather put into positions of power that enable conditions of evil to grow. The videos below provide examples of two occurrences that involved American citizens. The first video pertains to Abu Ghraib, in which American troops brutally mutilated and tortured several Middle Eastern prisoners they had at the time. Additionally, the first and the second video cover the true story of the Stanford Prison Experiment, which a young Philip Zimbardo oversaw himself. The external sources I have linked don't seek to excuse, but rather to understand.
7 Social Processes That Grease the Slippery Slope of Evil (Zimbardo)
1. Mindlessly Taking the First Small Step
2. Dehumanization of Others
3. De-individuation of Self (anonymity)
4. Diffusion of Personal Responsibility
5. Blind Obedience to Authority
6. Uncritical Conformity to Group Norms
7. Passive Tolerance of Evil Through Inaction, or Indifference
Humans are creatures who do not like moral ambiguity. Throughout all of our history, out many conflicts devolve into a battle of “good” and “evil” which in reality lies solely upon one’s perspective and positioning in the conflict. But ultimately this idea of good and evil lies as a staple of our society, as we are taught to praise heroes and despise villains. But more realistically, in the world these distinctions are much vaguer, and the line between good and evil is much more fluid. One of my favorite quotes regarding this subject is that from the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, whence he uttered “We serial killers are your sons. We are your husbands. We are everywhere. And there will be more of your children dead tomorrow.” This quote is particularly chilling, as we find security in being able to clearly identify threats, but the complexity of evil is far too great to be able to definitively label things. In many ways, our national identity and understanding of WWII is staunch, as from our history we recognize the Nazi party and henceforth Germany as evil in much of our media. But yet again, conflicts do not establish themselves as particularly easy to label one side as good and the other as evil. Do understand, I am in no way writing off the horrors that the Nazi party brought, but rather trying to highlight a complexity in human moral values, and how our perspective based upon where we are positioned determine our outlook. The example I pose is of the Allied forces being portrayed as universally good throughout history, yet we have many cases of Allied forces committing crimes and morally flawed actions, such as rape, genocide, torture and other methods used to gain an advantage. both sides committed such actions, and the other would use those actions as examples to push an agenda of their morality, and how they are combating evil. From our position it is hard to believe that everyday people could be capable of horrible things, but there are so many factors that play on our cognition that lead to horrid actions. Thus, when we look back on history I pose that we at least attempt to look deeper into the reality of the situation and the context that people were placed in. Especially regarding conflict, it would be beneficial to look at the scenario facing those engaged in the conflict, see what is at risk for them and perhaps understand their motivations. For many Germans fighting in the armed forces during WWII, they were not necessarily under the guise of the Nazi party, but rather fighting a war that was promoted and propagated by elite that promised a better future and one that their children would be prosperous in. From the depths of poverty and despair from WWI, to prosperity after the immediate rise of the Nazi party, we must take a deeper look into motivations, rather than assuming that Germany was inherently evil during the time period of the second world war.
National identity and perspective can influence ones idea of evil, but in reality, the line between good and evil is very permeable. Just like the picture below, where one can see angels, one can also see demons. Stanford psychologist Philip Zimbardo has done much research in his career and is renowned for his insight into the human condition and what makes good people go bad. He argues that people are not innately bad, but are rather put into positions of power that enable conditions of evil to grow. The videos below provide examples of two occurrences that involved American citizens. The first video pertains to Abu Ghraib, in which American troops brutally mutilated and tortured several Middle Eastern prisoners they had at the time. Additionally, the first and the second video cover the true story of the Stanford Prison Experiment, which a young Philip Zimbardo oversaw himself. The external sources I have linked don't seek to excuse, but rather to understand.
7 Social Processes That Grease the Slippery Slope of Evil (Zimbardo)
1. Mindlessly Taking the First Small Step
2. Dehumanization of Others
3. De-individuation of Self (anonymity)
4. Diffusion of Personal Responsibility
5. Blind Obedience to Authority
6. Uncritical Conformity to Group Norms
7. Passive Tolerance of Evil Through Inaction, or Indifference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsFEV35tWsg&t=548s (Please watch at your own advisory, there are several very disturbing images including graphic violence and partial nudity so be aware!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XN2X72jrFk
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