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What Is The Difference Between The Perils Of Obedience And The Stanford Prison Experiment

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In the movie A Few Good Men, Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey are arrested for the death of Pfc. William Santiago. While it seems to be a cover up of Dawson shooting unwarranted across the boundary line, it is brought to attention by Dawson and Downey that they were ordered by Colonel Nathan Jessup to commit a “code red,” or a hazing to bring Santiago back into line. Both Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo, psychologists known for their controversial experiments, offer explanation in their articles “The Perils of Obedience” and “The Stanford Prison Experiment,” respectively, as to why Dawson and Downey obey the command, even when they know the command to be immoral. They provide reasoning for Dawson that his specific situation prompted him to follow the order and commit the code red. However, they provide differing explanations for why Downey chose to follow the code red order. In his case, Zimbardo contends Downey was a victim of his situation because of the role he has in society. Contrasting Zimbardo’s conjecture, Milgram contests the reason for the obedience of Downey lies not in his role in society, but in the aspiration of Downey to receive appreciation for what he does daily – following orders.
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