Good People Can Do Evil Things - 781 Words

The Power of Situation â€Å"The power of situation†, refers to the idea that under certain circumstances good people can, and will do evil things. There’s many examples of these occurrences throughout our very own history, such as the more recent Abu Ghraib incident. In â€Å"The Lucifer Effect† is a theory which tries to explain why these good people had committed such heinous deeds. The Milgram, and Stanford prison experiments provide us with empirical evidence supporting the Lucifer Effect. Zimbardo’s theories helps us to try and understand why people do the things that they do; particularly the actions that would question one’s morals*. He believes the explanation for this might be accountability; meaning that if they knew that they’re going to be held accountable for their devious deeds then they are more likely to not do them. Zimbardo goes on to talk about peoples compliance; it’s much easier to get the average person to comply than one would think. Ultimately, Zimbardo reveals how easily corruptible people actually are, and the ways of poisoning the good mind. The Lucifer Effect can be explained by three key factors that cause a person to lose a sense of self. Founded by Philip Zimbardo he explained that people turn bad by explaining that they are either a â€Å"bad apple†, it is circumstantial, or systematic. These three elements are enough to turn any productive member of society and make them lose sight of any morals or ethics they once had. In turn, the factors might have aShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Evil : Why Do Bad Things Happen?1152 Words   |  5 PagesThe Problem of Evil Being a spiritual person who has grown up in a Catholic home, God is very important to me and is the one I turn to and pray to in times of despair. However, in many situations it has been seen throughout the world that society blames God for difficult moments. 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They are a clean slate, and as timeRead MoreWhy God Should Not Be Blamed On God1707 Words   |  7 PagesMany people throughout history have found themselves asking why evil exists. Or why, an all-powerful, omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect God allows evil into the world that he/she created. This question has brought about many answers and much debate between believers and non-believers. I have done a lot of reading on this dilemma and hope to address it through looking at a few key points. First, I want to address the question, what do we, as humans perceive as evil. To answer that questionRead More The Problem Of Evil Essay925 Words   |  4 Pages The Problem of Evil Evil exists, a plain and simple fact. The argument for the problem of evil (and suffering) proves that fact. The argument for the problem of evil states that there is a all-good, all-powerful God. It states that God being all-good means that he only wants good to exist. But, look at all the bad and evil in the world. A total contradiction of a all-good God. God being all- powerful means that he can make whatever he wants. So, if God can make whatever he wants then why did heRead MoreGod and Evil1273 Words   |  6 PagesSummary of the problem of evil and a critical evaluation of how it is said to undermine the traditional characteristics of God. This paper will attempt to review the philosophical quandary of the existence of evil and if evil exists can God exist and if so can this God still be declared perfect? The epistemological issue that arises is One’s knowledge of God and the validity of God’s existence. What is good and what is evil? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines evil as: 1. a : morallyRead MoreThe Existence Of Evil And Evil1591 Words   |  7 PagesThe existence of evil in the world caused people to questioned the existence of the perfect God. If God was truly omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good, then why would he let terrible things happen to good people? In recent news, we have witnessed many innocent deaths caused by a school shooting, a child raped, natural disaster, and other tragic events. If God was in control of everything, does this means that he allows these bad things to happen to humanity? This suffering seems to conflictsRead MoreBad Things Happen You Good People And Bad People Alike1405 Words   |  6 PagesBad things happen to good people and bad people alike. There is no such thing as God or Satan. The existence of evil proves that there can be no God. The things that occur in our universe are chance and can be explained by science. Enter humans and you have free will and free thinking which can lead to actions and consequ ences. Free will gives way to moral consequences. Bad things happen to people because it is part of a greater cosmic roll of the dice. We have evolved and become higher functioningRead MoreGood And Evil : Good Or Evil?928 Words   |  4 Pages Good and evil are very difficult terms to define. Some would seek help from their religions to help them determine whether a person is good or evil. Within Judaism and Christianity there are many ideas about who or what is good or evil. Many of these ideas contradict one another. It seems as though good and evil is based more on perspective than a set in stone definition. â€Å"Good† people in Judaism and Christianity are people who fear their God and strive to please Him. Sometimes they would even