The Stanford Prison Study and Obedience of the Masses Essay Example for Free

The Stanford Prison Study and Obedience of the Masses Essay The Stanford Prison Study conducted by Philip Zimbardo during the early 1970s showed the power of institutions to subject the masses to their own designs, despite the fact that institutions are generally represented by fewer people than the numbers constituting the masses.   Nevertheless, the study has been harshly criticized because it exposed its subjects to torture.   Seeing that scientific studies are essentially designed to benefit humanity at large, the fact that the prison guards inflicted torture upon the prisoners is despicable in the eyes of the scientific community.    The research should have been stopped at the first instance of torture.   However, conditions continued to worsen at the experimental prison created by Zimbardo (Macionis, 2005).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though the findings of the Stanford Prison Study are valuable in understanding human behavior, the study had been poorly designed because it did not exclude sadism as well as humiliation of the participants.   Nowadays, there are activists working against animal torture in scientific experiments.   But, the Stanford Prison Study included only humans in its design. The study is also criticized because its pool of participants was small.   What is more, Zimbardo had instructed the false prison guards to instill a sense of fear and powerlessness in the participants.   The prison guards were further instructed to work on stripping the participants off their individuality (â€Å"Stanford Prison,† 2007).   It is but obvious that an experimental design that does not control for sadism and dehumanization is unethical at best.   Besides, a scientific experiment that seeks to instill fear in the participants is comparable to terrorist acts in our times!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite its careless design, the Stanford Prison Study has provided humanity with a helpful message against torture, in addition to blind obedience to authority.   In a situation where obedience is demanded of the common people, and those demanding obedience are assumed to be powerful enough to inflict torture if their demands are not met; the common people normally have no choice but to obey.   In the process, the latter may lose their peace of mind, and some might even have to bear the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder for as long as they live.   All the same, the entire world bears witness to the truth of subjection and obedience.   At all places in the world, the Stanford Prison situation has occurred in one form or another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While countless prisons around the world bear testimony to the fact that prisoners can be emotionally traumatized and jailers can be extremely cruel, a basic example of the situation could be witnessed in abusive homes, where family members must subject themselves to an abusive father or mother for the simple fact that the latter appears as powerful enough to inflict torture.   People are also known to subject themselves to cruel circumstances that are often created by bad governments and politics around the world. It is certain that most of the people of Israel and Palestine, for instance, do not wish to engage in war.   However, the factions that fight amongst themselves are powerful enough to inflict torture.   Hence, the common people feel traumatized and impotent enough to allow the painful situation to persist.   Despite the fact that the common people wish for peace, and are greater in number, the groups that invade their peace carry arms which give them a very powerful image.   This image is scary enough to make common people extremely obedient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a matter of fact, the Stanford Prison situation is not unique by any means.   People subject themselves to powerful images at all times. Even so, the power of the Stanford Prison Study is the realization that human beings do not have to believe in images of power and subject themselves to torture.   This realization can be strengthened by modern-day conception of quantum reality – that is, we are not certain that the powerful images are real.   Indeed, it is possible for people to help themselves out of torturous situations. References Macionis, John J. (2005). Sociology. (Tenth Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prentice Hall. Stanford Prison Study. (2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved 18 July 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment.

King Lear :: essays research papers

King Lear is one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies which involves a common story of three daughters vying for the love of their father. Jane Smiley parallels the story of King Lear in her novel A Thousand Acres. Though this novel is derived from the roots of King Lear and the basic plot is similar, the reader’s reaction to each work of literature varies greatly. One may wonder why the reader’s perspective on the play King Lear changes so drastically after reading the novel A Thousand Acres. A couple of the reasons include the pieces of literature being told from two different view points and how the paralleling characters in the two works assume roles than are unexpected and seem unlike the comparable characters in the other piece of literature. However, Scott Holstad states the reason for the differing responses best by saying, â€Å"Smiley is successful because she fills in so many of the gaps left open in the play. She gives us new and different perspectives† (Holstad 1). King Lear is a most unusual play in that it only deals with the present and neglects the past and the future. The reader is not informed about an earlier time period in the play. The play opens up with Lear immediately choosing to, â€Å"express our darker purpose† (I, i, 35). There is no mention of any of the three daughters’ childhood. In contrast, Smiley makes a point of adding description to her novel. She constantly describes the three girls’ childhood, their ancestors, and other memories from the past. In the beginning of the novel, Ginny elaborates upon her great-grandparents and, â€Å"when they came the first time to Zebulon County, in the spring of 1890, and saw that half the land they had already bought was under two feet of water† (Smiley 14). Ginny also remembers when she used to take care of Caroline, â€Å"I had such hope for her, such a strong sense that when we sent her out, in whatever capacity, she would perform well, with enthusiasm and confidence that were mysteriously hers alone† (Smiley 262). The description of the past is the most powerful part in A Thousand Acres. It reveals hidden roots that shape and define behaviors of the characters. This hidden knowledge and exposure of secrets is exemplified in Edgar’s line in King Lear, â€Å"In nothing am I chang’d But in my garments† (IV, vi, 9-10). It tells the reader that although things may appear to be a certain way, reality will prove them to be different. The major difference between King Lear and A Thousand Acres is that the past comes

RH Bill Essay

RH Bill is plausible yet we cannot be sure about what will be the incoming effect of it in the Philippines. The government says that the main problem here is poverty and with RH Bill, there would be a decrease in population so that poverty in relatively with population also decreases. Yes, the government has a point in that sense but morally speaking, is it what God wants us to do? There are some people who agrees with RH Bill because as we all know, the use of contraceptive will make us unfertile; and if a woman is unfertile, it will not become pregnant. Let us all be open-minded and say that nowadays, teens are engaging in sexual activities. Teens are truly engaging with sex. Most of them who engages with sex will be pregnant. If they are still not that responsible enough to have a child, they have an option to abort the child or not; if not, then the couple will most likely suffer in having an early marriage. I respect the opinion of others about their decision upon agreeing in this bill but they should have an understanding that when RH Bill is going to be a law, then the Philippines will somewhat be liberated. I passed upon a guy who is not a Pro nor a Con in RH Bill but has a point in telling us that, â€Å"I wouldn’t directly say that I am against it†¦but I wouldn’t also say that I am with it†¦on the surface, the law seems to be plausible†¦it is actually verging on good to great†¦but as Filipinos, the separation of the state to the church isn’t actually complied because as Filipinos, our value for life and morality is sky high†¦but we cannot also change the fact that we are not the most responsible people in the world†¦many youths that I know here on our place is actually engaging in sexual activities and they suffer for it†¦we can’t change the fact that we need to control the situation before it gets worst†¦guys, we ’re 92,681,453 and counting as we talk†¦we can’t just sit†¦we have to do something†¦ the church is here to teach the people of the values†¦the government and the state is here to implement the values that the church teaches†¦but if she can’t do the teaching, the state shall act upon doing what is right on his eye†¦let the church be the church and the state be the state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but we must be careful about its effect. This guy has a good point in everything but teenagers who experienced early pregnancy should face their own consequences rather than encouraging other youths to engage in sex. Well, literally speaking, the RH Bill doesn’t encourage teens to engage in sexual activities but figuratively speaking, this bill somewhat encourages the teens to engage because of the thought that they won’t get pregnant and thus they’d be more liberated than ever. I respect the the governments’ idea about RH Bill because in the first place, they don’t want any abortion happening here in the Philippines nor having poverty because of having a child at an early age but I tell you, POPULATION is not the main issue here in the Philippines(well maybe a part) but POVERTY. Don’t tell me that poverty happens because of overpopulation. Well maybe yes†¦ but not the main reason. It is the CORRUPTION happening in our government’s the MAIN ISSUE here. Why concentrate in RH Bill when we should first plan a good system that helps the people in the Philippines which poverty will most likely decline. As a citizen here in the Philippines and as a Christian or a Catholic, would you like to have a liberated country? An immoral society? Think about it. Even though the RH Bill has a lot of benefits, it doesn’t mean we should make the disadvantages of the bill happen.

Informative Essay About Drugs - 1020 Words

Drugs Wyatt Lehr Lamar High School APA Informative Drugs have been an effective way of reaching a pleasurable state, relieving pain, avoiding stress, and meeting social expectations for the past six thousand years. There is a controversy over whether drugs are good for people or not, but this essay is not an opinion of what drugs are and should be used for. This paper will explain the background and effects of drugs on the human body and mind (Scheme=AGLSTERMS.AglsAgent; corporateName=State Library of New South Wales). Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that affect the nervous system, which can alter a person’s awareness and consciousness, alter our perception and change what we see, and most commonly known, change our†¦show more content†¦Drugs can activate the brain’s reward/pleasure center which includes the neurotransmitter dopamine. When this part of the brain is activated it increases dopamine levels which gives off a feeling of euphoria. The reward/pleasure center can be activated by simply eating a desired food, having sex, or any other pleasurable activity. However, repeated usage of the drug diminishes dopamine levels, so the user of the drug must continue using drugs to keep or reactivate the reward/pleasure center. Drug usage actually changes the brain’s chemistry (GET THE FACTS: Drug Abuse Puts Your Whole Body at Risk.). Certain drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, opium, morphine, and heroin are stimulants. These drugs increase activity for the central nervous system causing rises in alertness, euphoria, arousal, and decreased appetite. Mild stimulants can include nicotine and caffeine whereas cocaine and amphetamines are considered powerful stimulants because a low dosage results in a strong effect. Amphetamines were used to treat a wide variety of problems involving fatigue, depression, and obesity in the 1900s. In 1971 the Food and Drug Administration outlawed the prescription of amphetamines. When officials began enforcing het law against cocaine, there was an increase of a form of amphetamine known as methamphetamine. Methamphetamine could be smoked, or snorted causing an instantaneous highShow MoreRelatedInformative Essay About Recreational Drugs1441 Words   |  6 PagesRecreational drugs My thesis is that recreational drugs are situation, both can be bad or good for a person depending on the type of drug and how it is used. This essay will discuss the negative aspects to promoting the utilization of illegal recreational drugs such as a rare disease, misunderstanding of the health risks, and social destructive activities that follow its use. 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