SM
Stanley Milgram
36quotes
Full Name and Common Aliases
Stanley Milgram was born as Szaniszló Schmilberg, but he is commonly known by his Americanized name, Stanley Milgram.
Birth and Death Dates
Stanley Milgram was born on August 15, 1933, in New York City. He passed away on December 20, 1984, at the age of 51.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Stanley Milgram was an American psychologist of Hungarian descent. He is widely known for his pioneering work in social psychology, particularly in the fields of obedience, authority, and conformity.
Early Life and Background
Stanley Milgram's family moved to New York City when he was a young child. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Hungary, and they instilled in him a strong sense of morality and justice. Milgram grew up in a middle-class family with two siblings. He developed an interest in psychology early on, which led him to study at Harvard University.
Major Accomplishments
Stanley Milgram's work on obedience is arguably his most significant contribution to the field of social psychology. In 1961, he conducted a series of experiments that demonstrated how ordinary people can be persuaded to administer electric shocks to others when ordered by an authority figure. This research challenged the prevailing views of human nature and sparked intense debates about morality and free will.
Notable Works or Actions
Milgram's most famous experiment, known as the Obedience Study, involved asking participants to administer increasingly severe electric shocks to another person whenever they answered questions incorrectly. The results showed that a significant proportion of participants were willing to go up to 450 volts in order to comply with the instructions given by an authority figure.
Impact and Legacy
Stanley Milgram's work has had a profound impact on our understanding of human behavior, particularly in situations where people are ordered to harm others. His research highlighted the dangers of blind obedience and the importance of questioning authority figures. Today, his findings continue to influence fields such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, and education.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Stanley Milgram is widely quoted and remembered for his groundbreaking work on obedience, which challenged conventional wisdom about human nature. His research has been influential in shaping our understanding of social behavior, morality, and the dangers of blind conformity. As a result, he remains one of the most important figures in the history of social psychology.
In conclusion, Stanley Milgram's life and work serve as a testament to the power of scientific inquiry and its potential to challenge prevailing assumptions about human behavior. His legacy continues to inspire new generations of researchers, scholars, and thinkers, ensuring that his contributions to our understanding of human nature will be remembered for years to come.
Quotes by Stanley Milgram
Stanley Milgram's insights on:
"
It is clear that the disagreement between the authorities completely paralyzed action. Not.
"
There is a certain discomfort in not knowing who the boss is, and subjects sometimes frantically sought to determine this.
"
There is a propensity for people to accept definitions of action provided by legitimate authority.
"
Control the manner in which a man interprets his world, and you have gone a long way toward controlling his behavior.
"
The essence in obedience consists in the fact that a person comes to view himself as an instrument for carrying out another person’s wishes and he therefore no longer regards himself as responsible for his actions.
"
It may be that we are puppets-puppets controlled by the strings of society. But at least we are puppets with perception, with awareness. And perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation. (1974)
"
A substantial proportion of people do what they are told to do, irrespective of the content of the act, and without pangs of conscience, so long as they perceive that the command comes from a legitimate authority.
"
Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process.
"
I would say, on the basis of having observe a thousand people in the experiment and having my own intuition shaped and informed by these experiments, that if a system of death camps were set up in the United States of the sort we had seen in Nazi Germany, one would find sufficient personnel for those camps in any medium-sized American town.
"
Although a person acting under authority performs actions that seem to violate standards of conscience, it would not be true to say that he loses his moral sense. Instead, it acquires a radically different focus. He does not respond with a moral sentiment to the actions he performs. Rather, his moral concern now shifts to a consideration of how well he is living up to the expectations that the authority has of him.
Showing 1 to 10 of 36 results