Milgram said he "once wondered whether in all of the United States a vicious government could find enough moral imbeciles to meet the personnel requirements of a national system of death camps, of the sort that were maintained in Germany. I am now beginning to think that the full complement could be recruited in New Haven" (Blass 100).
Connection to The Holocaust
During World War II, thousands of German soldiers murdered millions of Jewish families "working under orders from Nazi officials" (Nairne 433).
For those accused of murder after the war ended, many argued that they were just following orders (Nairne 433).
Though we cannot even reach an equal comparison between such an event as the Holocaust, and an experiment on everyday people, Milgram's findings on obedience certainly show us how easily people will comply with the orders of an authority figure, be it an experimenter, or possibly Adolf Hitler.
"Most people find it extremely difficult to understand such events and consider them to be social aberrations committed by people far different from themselves" (Nairne 433). As Milgram proves, this may not always be true.
Connection to Reverend Jim Jones
1978
In Guyana, South America, a reverend named Jim Jones ordered hundreds of his converts to commit a mass suicide. Over 900 people drank Kool-Aid laced with a poison called cyanide (Nairne 433).
Again, we see hundreds of people following an authority figure to which they looked up to. How easily they were convinced to commit suicide is the problem.
In Guyana, South America, a reverend named Jim Jones ordered hundreds of his converts to commit a mass suicide. Over 900 people drank Kool-Aid laced with a poison called cyanide (Nairne 433).
Again, we see hundreds of people following an authority figure to which they looked up to. How easily they were convinced to commit suicide is the problem.
