Blog 2 - The Dangers of Dehumanization

Evil is nothing new to the world and is often the topic of research for philosophers and psychiatrists alike.  Two men who have explored the nature of evil in society are Dr. David Eagleman and Dr. Philip Zimbardo.  Their examination of evil researched who entire societies can turn their back on groups within the society and permit, or even condone, acts of genocide, exploitation, and other inhuman treatment.  In each case they found the component of dehumanization was central to acts against subgroups within the society. 

Dr. Philip Zimbardo is best known for his work in the Stanford Experiments in the early 1970’s.  This experiment demonstrated how normal members of society could be placed in situation where they would exhibit acts of unthinkable cruelty towards others.  Over the decades following the experiment he named this change from good to evil the “Lucifer Effect.”  Discovery Magazine in April 2007 pointed out that Zimbardo found in the atrocities of Abu Ghraib that “Dehumanization of prisoners occurred by virtue of their sheer numbers, enforced nakedness, and uniform appearance, as well as by the guards’ inability to understand their language.” It is only because the “good” people could dehumanize other people that permitted them to act out against them in horrible ways.

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist who explores the workings of the human mind.  Writer Gerri Miller discussed aspects of dehumanization with Dr. Eagleman. 

"the issue of the social brain and how so much of our circuitry is devoted towards other brains and dealing with other brains…We're extremely wired up to be a social species. It's what holds us together. Empathy is the glue that allows us to step into each other's shoes and I explore this issue to try to understand what it is about things like genocide: What happens at a societal level that allows people to dehumanize other groups, and what it takes to re-humanize.”

It is clear that the dehumanization is central in the evil that man does, but can speech cause this dehumanization?  If so should that speech be protected?  In my future blogs I will examine how the words we use cause dehumanization of groups within society.  I will also look at the consequences of loss of freedom. To begin thinking about the topic of dehumanizing groups within society a video by Dr. David Eagleman is a good introduction to the subject.  He is neuroscientist who is well known for his research on human behavior.  

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Works Cited:

Gerri Miller - "Think You're Above Doing Evil? Think Again." Discover Magazine Apr.-May 2007: 66-67. Print.

TheLavinAgency. "The Neuroscience of Dehumanization: David Eagleman." YouTube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 13 July 2016. 

Politicalpersecution. "The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil TED Talk by Philip Zimbardo." YouTube. YouTube, 2015. Web. 13 July 2016.