Arguing, Obeying and Defying: A Rhetorical Perspective on Stanley Milgram's Obedience Experiments

Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments have been re-evaluated, revealing how they can be understood as occasions for argumentation and rhetoric rather than showing how passive subjects can be led into doing as they are told. This book reconsiders what we understand by obedience and extends how social psychologists have understood rhetoric.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 29 October 2020
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments are among the most influential and controversial scientific studies ever conducted. The experiments are commonly understood to have shown how easily people can be led into harming another person, simply as a result of following orders. Recently, however, Milgram's studies have been subjected to a sustained critique and re-evaluation. This book draws on the vast stock of audio recordings from Milgram's experiments to reveal how these experiments can be understood as occasions for argumentation and rhetoric, rather than showing how passive subjects can be led into simply doing as they are told. In doing so, it reconsiders what we understand by obedience and extends how social psychologists have understood rhetoric itself.

The experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram have sparked widespread debate and controversy, with many questioning the ethical implications of his research. Milgram's experiments involved subjecting participants to what they believed were real-life situations in which they were instructed to harm another person. The participants were led to believe that they were acting under the authority of a scientist, and that their actions would have no consequences for the victim.

However, the experiments revealed that participants were willing to harm another person, even if they believed it was wrong, simply as a result of following orders. This has led to many critics of Milgram's research, who argue that his experiments were unethical and that they provide a distorted view of human nature.

One of the main criticisms of Milgram's experiments is that they involved manipulating the participants' sense of morality. The participants were led to believe that they were acting in the interests of science, even if they knew that their actions were harmful to another person. This has led to concerns that the experiments could be used to justify unethical behavior, such as torture or genocide.

Another criticism of Milgram's experiments is that they involved a high level of coercion. The participants were placed in a situation where they felt they had no choice but to obey the orders of the experimenter. This has led to concerns that the experiments could be used to manipulate people into doing things they would not normally do, and that they could have negative psychological effects on the participants.

Despite these criticisms, Milgram's experiments have also been praised for their insights into human behavior. The experiments have shown that people are willing to obey authority figures, even if they believe that their actions are wrong. They have also shown that people are susceptible to social pressure and that they can be influenced by the behavior of others.

In recent years, Milgram's experiments have been subjected to a sustained critique and re-evaluation. Many social psychologists have argued that the experiments were flawed and that they do not provide a accurate representation of human behavior. They have argued that the experiments were designed to elicit a specific response from the participants, and that they do not reflect the complex and nuanced nature of human decision-making.

Despite these criticisms, Milgram's experiments have continued to be influential in the field of social psychology. They have inspired a range of research into the nature of obedience and the factors that influence human behavior. They have also been used to explore the ethical implications of scientific research and the responsibilities of researchers to their subjects.

In conclusion, Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments are among the most influential and controversial scientific studies ever conducted. The experiments have shown how easily people can be led into harming another person, simply as a result of following orders. However, the experiments have also been subjected to a sustained critique and re-evaluation, with many critics arguing that they were unethical and that they provide a distorted view of human nature. Despite these criticisms, Milgram's experiments have continued to be influential in the field of social psychology, and they have inspired a range of research into the nature of obedience and the factors that influence human behavior.

Weight: 366g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108431811