"(I seem to recall Marna mentioning that knowledge of this experiment was one of the strongest defences against succumbing to this kind of pressure.)"
'Zactly.
"But I can't see any way that that information could have been obtained ethically. Do you?"
Perhaps not. Because it needed the response of the individual to gauge the willingness to inflict pain without responsibility. It couldn't really be gauged in the abstract. Hmm. Being the concrete-minded person that I am, perhaps I can only ask myself if it would have been unethical if the experiment had been conducted on *me.* From my comfortable keyboard today (rather than in the uneviable position of being *filmed* supposedly committing atrocities), it's hard to say, really. I guess I *would* like to know that capability about myself, so that I could guard against any such behavior in the future. Of course, had the experiment only been conducted on me, then everyone would have had the satisfaction of knowing that *I* was a terrible person, not that they could also be persuaded to such action.
Do you know if the psychological harm was in the knowledge that they could have committed the pain infliction, or in the being publicly "caught in the act"? Or both?
no subject
'Zactly.
"But I can't see any way that that information could have been obtained ethically. Do you?"
Perhaps not. Because it needed the response of the individual to gauge the willingness to inflict pain without responsibility. It couldn't really be gauged in the abstract. Hmm. Being the concrete-minded person that I am, perhaps I can only ask myself if it would have been unethical if the experiment had been conducted on *me.* From my comfortable keyboard today (rather than in the uneviable position of being *filmed* supposedly committing atrocities), it's hard to say, really. I guess I *would* like to know that capability about myself, so that I could guard against any such behavior in the future. Of course, had the experiment only been conducted on me, then everyone would have had the satisfaction of knowing that *I* was a terrible person, not that they could also be persuaded to such action.
Do you know if the psychological harm was in the knowledge that they could have committed the pain infliction, or in the being publicly "caught in the act"? Or both?