Milgram’s experiment Essay Example for Free

Milgram’s experiment Essay Milgram’s experiment provided a logical answer to these questions: ‘is it possible that people will do things because they are merely obeying the orders of a person in authority or ‘what will motivate a decent person to do unethical acts? ’ The answer to these questions was very important during his time. During the World War II over 5 Million Jews were executed by the National Socialist Regime led by Adolf Hitler. Stanley Milgram, a Yale University Psychologist, theorized that it is very much possible that Adolf Eichmann executed these people because he was merely blindly obeying the orders of a superior authority. This means that he was not a principal in the crime but a mere accomplice. This also means that the execution may have been done against his will. Thus, he set up his experiment to test and determine how much pain an ordinary citizen is willing to inflict on another person simply because he was ordered to do so by a scientist, an authority figure. The result is that 60% to 65% of the participants were prepared to inflict fatal voltages against another person in obedience to the scientist’s order. In Milgram’s experiment, the authority figure represented the scientist. In our lives, a person in authority could be our parents, our professors, our boss in the office, the local policeman, the local priest, a fraternity or sorority senior, or any person in whom trust and respect is reposed. We consider a person to have authority over us because of their age, relationship, position, designation and even skill. I believe one reason why people obey a person in authority even if the latter’s order is against morality is because one thinks that by obeying a person in authority he no longer becomes the doer of the action but simply the agent. (â€Å"Milgram Experiment†) If he has done something wrong then he is not to be blamed. Thus, he rationalizes that any and all moral and legal responsibility for such action should not fall upon him and instead the responsibility should fall upon the shoulders of the person in authority. Another plausible reason why a person simply obeys a person in authority even if the deed is contrary to his sense of morality is moral ignorance. (â€Å"Milgram Experiment†) It is possible that the doer may not know what to do in such a situation as a result his only course of action would be to follow the commands of a person in authority. He may be unaware that there are better options. When people do not know what to do and how to act in a particular situation as a result we allow other person to make decisions for us whom we trust and respect to be capable of making the right decisions. II. I think children are socialized to obey authority figures primarily because the parents as the first authority figure were raised in the same culture and environment. As part of their socialization process, their own parents raised them in the similar manner where respect for authority figures was emphasized. Thus, they bring family culture and environment to their own families. Also, I think the parents, as the first authority figures in the child’s life want their children to obey them as they have obeyed their own parents. As part of the discipline process, parents want their children to give respect to them and to follow their wishes and instructions so that it will be easier for them to impose discipline on their own children. Further, from the perspective conforming to the social rules, the parents because of their vast experiences have learned how important it is for one member of the society to obey simple rules e. g. traffic rules, penal laws, company policies. They have also learned that there are times when there are rewards for obeying authority figure or the mere fact that one does not get into trouble is a reward in itself. As a result they want to pass on to their children that obedience and conformity is a social norm which everybody has to accept so that there will be order and harmony within the society. Thus, it is stated that conformity to social rules is so important that all its members must be inducted to into its moral norms, attitudes, values, motives, social roles, language and symbols because it is the only means by which social and cultural continuity are attained.

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Chapter 11; Question 4 1. What term denotes punishment by execution of someone officially judged to have committed a serious crime? The term that denotes the punishment by execution of someone officially judged to have committed a serious crime is capital punishment. Capital punishment is now defined as when a person commits a serious crime such as first-degree murder or for intentional killing of a police officer. In the past times the Western world used capital punishment for crimes such as witchcraft, rape, treason, kidnapping, murder, and many other acts that were deemed criminal offenses. Until recent decades, a lot of states in the United States of America practiced this form of punishment, but many of them have decided to use capital sentences aka death penalty for more serious crimes such as the case of State of NH vs. Michael Addison which involved the intentional killing of a Manchester N.H. police officer because of the controversial arguments that surrounds the ethical concerns with the death penalty sentence. Unfortunately, the judicial system has too many flaws and is not 100% fool proof to prevent the unjustifiable conviction and execution of a wrongly accused person so most convicted death row inmates spend many years in jail before the capital punishment sentence is carried out, to allow the proper legal rights of the accused to be carried out. The methods of execution that has been used through the many years are: âž ¢ Hanging- it is the method that a rope noose is put around the criminal’s neck and a platform they are standing on was removed from beneath them. âž ¢ Firing squad- a group of armed shooters lined up and the accused would stand, blindfolded and upon command the armed shooters would shoot several rounds ... ...Marriage'." CNS News.com. N.p., 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. . Catholic News Service. "The Catholic Church, Homosexuality and Gay Marriage." The Catholic Church, Homosexuality and Gay Marriage. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. . "First Degree Murder Law & Legal Definition." First Degree Murder Law & Legal Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. . "Lethal Injection Procedures." Lethal Injection Procedures. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. . "Methods of Execution: Gas Chamber."Methods of Execution: Gas Chamber. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013.

Ethics Essay

1. What is/are John’s ethical issues? I do not know the exact definition of ethical but I believe it to be related to our behavior and the decisions we make and if they are considered right or wrong by society. I am sure there are times when a situation may be perfectly legal but we may not think it is okay. Keeping this in mind, John’s ethical issues include thoroughly researching IPOs and using this information to his advantage, pocketing profits from the shorting process, disregarding the non-compete clause and allowing mailings to be sent to his clients prior to resigning, indirectly letting his clients know he was personally paying for their expenses instead of charging them to the firm, buying and selling stocks without the client’s knowledge, and not giving the time and attention needed to properly train new hires. 2. Are there any legal considerations for John? I think he could be held legally liable for all of the actions mentioned above if they are illegal. I am not sure if indirectly letting clients know he paid for their expenses and buying and selling their stocks without their knowledge is illegal. Obviously he is doing something illegal if the SEC is investigating. I guess he could be fined and/or be taken to trial depending on the severity of his actions and the amount of money involved. 3. Discuss the implications of each decision John has made and will make. I am not a risk taker and I know I would question his character based on the decisions he has made and I would not trust him. However, it sounds as if this type of behavior may be the norm with stock brokers who are willing to take risks. The Sharks would probably be more accepting of his behavior because they are risk takers but the Cessna and Turtles would be less accepting because of being more conservative. I think John should cooperate with the SEC with the hopes of reducing the severity of punishment for his actions. Resolving Ethical Business Challenges – Questions/Exercises 1. What are the potential ethical issues faced by Acme Corporation? I think the potential ethical issues are giving the client season tickets and a vacation in return for purchasing additional inventory, taking the best accounts to Vegas for a thank you party with all expenses paid including adult entertainment and keeping it quiet. 2. What should Acme do if there is a desire to make ethics part of its core organizational values? Acme needs to communicate core values to their employees. Ethics programs need be created and overseen by appointed ethics officers. The ethical component relates to the values, beliefs and established and enforced patterns of conduct that employees use to identify and respond to ethical issues. 3. Identify the ethical issues of which Frank needs to be aware. He should be concerned about the fact he agreed to give the client season tickets and a vacation in return for an increase inventory which resulted in a personal bonus for Frank and achievement recognition. Amber offered the thank you trip but Frank would be telling the client adult entertainment is okay per Amber and it would not get out. Each time he goes to this client with a recommendation to increase inventory, the client is going to expect to get something in return. If other clients find out about this, they may expect the same treatment or they may take their business elsewhere. 4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each decision that Frank could make. Each time he goes to this client with a recommendation to increase inventory, the client is going to expect to get something in return. If other clients find out about this, they may expect the same treatment or they may take their business elsewhere. I think every client is important to a business regardless of the size of their account and they should each be treated equally but it does not happen this way in the real world.

The Five Marginal Seas of the Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the worlds five oceans with an area of 5,427,000 square miles (14,056,000 sq km). It has an average depth of 3,953 feet (1,205 m) and its deepest point is the Fram Basin at -15,305 feet (-4,665 m). The Arctic Ocean is between Europe, Asia, and North America. In addition, most of its waters of the Arctic Ocean are north of the Arctic Circle. The Geographic North Pole is at the center of the Arctic Ocean. While the South Pole is on a landmass the North Pole is not but the area that it inhabits is usually made up of ice. Throughout most of the year, much of the Arctic Ocean is covered by a drifting polar icepack that is an average of ten feet (three meters) thick. This icepack normally melts during the summer months, which is being extended due to climate change. Ocean or Sea Due to its size, many oceanographers do not consider the Arctic Ocean to be an ocean at all. Instead, some think it is a Mediterranean sea, which is a sea that is mostly enclosed by land. Others believe it to be an estuary, a partially enclosed coastal body of water, of the Atlantic Ocean. These theories are not widely  held. The International Hydrographic Organization does consider the Arctic to be one of the worlds seven oceans. While they are located in Monaco, the IHO is an intergovernmental organization representing hydrography, the science of measuring the ocean. Does the Arctic Ocean have seas? Yes, even though its the smallest ocean the Arctic does have its own seas. The Arctic Ocean is similar to the worlds other oceans because it shares borders with both continents and marginal seas which are also known as Mediterranean seas. The Arctic Ocean shares borders with five marginal seas. The following is a list of those seas arranged by area. The Arctic Seas Barents Sea, Area: 542,473 square miles (1,405,000 sq km)Kara Sea, Area: 339,770 square miles (880,000 sq km)Laptev Sea, Area: 276,000 square miles (714,837 sq km)Chukchi Sea, Area: 224,711 square miles (582,000 sq km)Beaufort Sea, Area: 183,784 square miles (476,000 sq km)Wandel Sea, Area: 22,007 square miles (57,000 sq km)Lincon Sea, Area: Unknown Exploring The Arctic Ocean Recent developments in technology are allowing scientists to study the depths of the Arctic Ocean in brand new ways. This study is important to help scientists study the catastrophic effects of climate change on the area. Mapping the Arctic Ocean  floor could even lead to new discoveries like trenches or sandbars. They may also discover new species of lifeforms found only at the top of the world. It is truly an exciting time to be an oceanographer or a hydrographer. Scientists  are able to explore this treacherous frozen part of the world in-depth for the first time in human history. How exciting!