The Milgram Experiment

The Milgram Experiment, done in 1961, ended with shocking results. It showed how far people would go to obey authority or some one who was in power. 12 volunteers were given the role of "teacher". First they met Nick, the "learner", then after seeing nick being strapped to the chair, they received instructions from the Professor. He even gave the "teachers" a small shock to feel how it would work. As the questions began, and the voltage went higher and higher, some of the "teachers" became uncomfortable. They would ask the professor if they could stop, but all he said was that it was "essential" for them to continue with the experiment. Even Philip, who in the end, stopped in the middle saying that he could not continue, had faltered at one point because the professor said that "The experiment requires that you continue... Please go on." The pressure of the authority plus the feel of responsibility led them to continue, even though most of them knew and felt it was wrong. "Do we have to do this?" "Did we kill him?" Those we questions placed by the people, and yet because the professor said to continue, they obeyed him. 9 out of the 12 "teachers" went all the way to the end: 450 volts. Micheal makes a point of how he had met people who have committed horrible acts of crime, he's seen so much violence around him, but what shocked him above all of that was to see that normal, law abiding people, like him and us, could apparently inflict horrible torture on others. Its crazy to see how people can convince themselves that in a certain circumstance, violence is ok and justifiable, for the sake of science of some "good". The people in power can also end up abusing this responsibility, because they know that they will be obeyed no matter what the cost. Like Micheal said Violence isn't just an act that other people do, it's not some evil force that is out there. It is something that is in each and everyone of us. How far would people from our time go if they had a chance?