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The Milgram Experiment: Conflict Between Obedience To Authority And Personal Conscience

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The Milgram Experiment is one that was conducted by Stanley Milgram in 1963. The experiment focused on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience. This study was performed based upon the findings and actions of the Holocaust. Stanley began his curiosity of the subject after the Nuremberg War Criminal trials. Mr. McLeod points out that, “Their defense was often based on “obedience”- that they were just following orders from their superiors (page 1).” What happened in the experiment was that a “teacher” was given an electric shock generator that ranged from 15 volts (slight shock) to 450 volts (deadly) and a “student” was sat down in a chair and electrodes were attached to him. The student would be given a word and he

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