Philip Zimbardo on the Psychology of Evil

Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad.  In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials.  Then he talks about the flip side: how easy it is to be a hero, and how we can rise to the challenge.

Discussion questions before you watch the Zimbardo lectures Hospedagem de Sites:

1. How can a psychologist who conducts lab studies contribute towards a more just and peaceful world?
2. How do you think that a better understanding of evil might contribute to peace and social justice?

Warning:  These lectures contain images of violence and sexuality.

Discussion questions after you watch the Zimbardo lecture:

1.       What is the relationship between evil actions and power presented in this lecture?  Can you think of situations you have read or know about when this relationship between evil and power was demonstrated?

2.       Philip Zimbardo argues that his research shows we need to ask "what is responsible" rather than "who is responsible" when trying to understand why people can harm others.  How do systems contribute to situations in which people act to harm others? What did he learn from the experiences at Abu Gharaib and his own studies of prisons? What we do to create just, rather than unjust, institutions?

3.       What evidence does Philip Zimbardo have to support the idea that we can all act heroically if we are encouraged to by our social worlds?  How do groups affect individual behavior according to his research?

4.       What is unusual about the definition of heroism explained in this lecture?  Why are the traditional models for moral heroes problematic for teaching children?  What kind of systems would you create to educate children to act heroically?