Why did people obey authority and was it right to carry out the study (Stanley Milgram at Yale university-1963

Answer 1

"Why do people obey authority?" is a deep question with a thousand genuine answers. Think: why do you do what mom and dad ask you to? (Or why not? Or why sometimes?) Why do you follow the school rules? Why do you go to school on time (or not, if you don't)?

Do you have a baby or a toddler in your family? I'm asking because I suggest one part of the answer is that when we are very small we need our parents for almost all of our desires. We at that age do what mama says because we fear that we won't live if we don't. She won't feed us, or protect us, and then we'll die. I don't mean we think it through, I mean it just comes naturally. It all goes back to evolution. It's a basic part of how each child learns to be a human being.

"Was it right to carry out the study?" That's another deep question. Surely your teacher wants your thoughts and feelings, not mine???? On what basis do you say 'this is right, and that's not right'? You can look up the word "ethical" in a dictionary and see what it means. What do you think Milgram's motives were? Was he trying to help his fellow human beings or harm them? Did he actually help or harm them? If he was trying to help but actually did harm, could he reasonably have thought that would happen? Knowing then what was known then, not what is known now, 43 years later?

Answer 2

because they didn't know any better and bought into the study. it still exists today with promises of drug research/ authority etc.