Personal Conscience and Obedience to Authority - Assignment Example

The volunteer gave wrong answers on purpose, and for each the teacher electrolyzed him. In response to the shock administered the volunteer, begins to rumble at 75 volts, complain at 110 volts, and release at 150 volts (Milgram, 1963). On increasing with vigor, at 300 volts the volunteer screams but continues to eventually complain of pain at 450 volts (Milgram, 1963). When a shock is not administered, and he turns to Stanley for guidance, he is instructed to continue since the experiment requires continuity and there is no other option but to continue.

Analyzing the results, it shows two-thirds, sixty-five percent, of participants, continue to the highest levels of 450 volts and all continue to 300 volts (Milgram, 1963). On conducting more experiments in different variations similar results are obtained. The response is similar to Stanley’s expectations but the minority questioned authority while the larger percent, Sixty-five percent were willing to advance to the highest level of voltage. Some volunteers appeared somber, cold, arrogant, and hopeless; nevertheless, they continued to obey, discharging high levels of shock. Obedience is affected by the legitimacy or status of authority since individuals tend to obey other people especially if their authority is legally based or morally right. The experiment proved that when an authority figure is nearby obedience is likely to be high and others who are seen to disobey an authority figure reduce obedience level. Personal responsibilities affect obedience levels since when personal responsibility is low obedience to authority increases (Milgram, 1963). In conclusion, normal people are most likely to follow given orders, especially by an authoritative figure, even to the extent of taking the lives of innocent people. Obedience is a virtue nurtured in human beings from the ways we are brought up and accorded to authority figures like parents, bosses, and teachers.

The ethical issues of the research are deception and the protection of participants. The deception came into being as the volunteers believed that they were shocking persons who were real and unaware the other party was Stanley’s confederate. The protection of participants was dangerous since they got exposed to stressful situations leading to psychological harm and pain.

The philosophic and legal aspects of obedience are nurtured in human beings since most are of importance and say little about people’s behavior in concrete situations. It is nurtured by the ways people are brought up and accorded to authority figures like parents, bosses, and teachers (Brown, 1986). Authority wins by obedience more often than not, and this is due to the extent human beings are willing to go on the command of a higher authority.