Jay Patel
07/24/2017
Argument/Analysis: Obedience to Authority
Introduction Maverick
Paragraph #7 Ever wonder why followers support a leader’s idea, even when they know the ideology of the leader is wrong? This is an example of a “group mind.” It can be defined as, supporters acting together mindlessly to create an outcome of one’s thinking. In other words, a group of people agrees with a ruler or the boss, others, who know the leader is wrong, also goes along with their thoughts and ideas. For example, imagine being in a classroom full of students where the teacher is the leader. The teacher questions the students and the students have no clue on what the correct answer is. So the teacher, intentionally gives a wrong answer and then questions …show more content…
Teacher then, replies “no,” and reads the correct answer. In the article “Group Minds,” Doris Lessing states that if you were to work in groups, your thinking is either “like-minded,” or is changing because of how the group thinks. According to Lessing, working together in groups can have a positive or negative influence on people (595). Many believe groups help them finish their work much faster than working individually. Yet I believe, working in groups can cause distractions upon others’ thinking and doing. As Lessing explains that people living their lives in groups are not wrong, but not being able to understand the “social laws that govern groups and govern us,” is what is dangerous (595). I agree with Lessing’s statement and the fact that we all want to belong to a group, but have no idea of what the group is with or …show more content…
Whenever the principles which are followed and those which are not followed are conflicting. Erich Fromm, in his essay “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem,” illustrates that an act of obedience to one principle is also an act of disobedience to its counterpart and vice versa (575). Fromm gives an example of Antigone of that difference. She had to obey the inhuman laws of the State, but, at the same time, she would disobey the laws of humanity (576). Stanley Milgram, social psychologist, organized one of the famous research study on obedience. Milgram arranged an experiment that would force members to either disobey their shame by complying the immoral demands of an authority figure or to turn down those demands.
Paragraph #9 When groups form, people often find that they are not being individual thinkers, based on the influence of the group or because of what everyone thinks. In my early years, I was in a situation where I encountered a moral dilemma to obey a figure of authority and also, in my opinion, be a leader. When I first moved from India to America, I didn’t speak the language everyone else spoke. But I understood what the people were saying, I just didn’t know how to communicate.
07/24/2017
Argument/Analysis: Obedience to Authority
Introduction Maverick
Paragraph #7 Ever wonder why followers support a leader’s idea, even when they know the ideology of the leader is wrong? This is an example of a “group mind.” It can be defined as, supporters acting together mindlessly to create an outcome of one’s thinking. In other words, a group of people agrees with a ruler or the boss, others, who know the leader is wrong, also goes along with their thoughts and ideas. For example, imagine being in a classroom full of students where the teacher is the leader. The teacher questions the students and the students have no clue on what the correct answer is. So the teacher, intentionally gives a wrong answer and then questions …show more content…
Teacher then, replies “no,” and reads the correct answer. In the article “Group Minds,” Doris Lessing states that if you were to work in groups, your thinking is either “like-minded,” or is changing because of how the group thinks. According to Lessing, working together in groups can have a positive or negative influence on people (595). Many believe groups help them finish their work much faster than working individually. Yet I believe, working in groups can cause distractions upon others’ thinking and doing. As Lessing explains that people living their lives in groups are not wrong, but not being able to understand the “social laws that govern groups and govern us,” is what is dangerous (595). I agree with Lessing’s statement and the fact that we all want to belong to a group, but have no idea of what the group is with or …show more content…
Whenever the principles which are followed and those which are not followed are conflicting. Erich Fromm, in his essay “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem,” illustrates that an act of obedience to one principle is also an act of disobedience to its counterpart and vice versa (575). Fromm gives an example of Antigone of that difference. She had to obey the inhuman laws of the State, but, at the same time, she would disobey the laws of humanity (576). Stanley Milgram, social psychologist, organized one of the famous research study on obedience. Milgram arranged an experiment that would force members to either disobey their shame by complying the immoral demands of an authority figure or to turn down those demands.
Paragraph #9 When groups form, people often find that they are not being individual thinkers, based on the influence of the group or because of what everyone thinks. In my early years, I was in a situation where I encountered a moral dilemma to obey a figure of authority and also, in my opinion, be a leader. When I first moved from India to America, I didn’t speak the language everyone else spoke. But I understood what the people were saying, I just didn’t know how to communicate.