The World's Best Book Summaries
What are the dangers of having blind obedience to authority? What experiments demonstrate authoritative pressure? Authoritative pressure is when an individual or group in power bids you to do something. In The Lucifer Effect, Philip Zimbardo asserts that it’s far more likely that we will commit evil if we’re “just following orders.” Continue reading to learn more about blind obedience to authority figures.
What is Western influence? How does Westernization affect traditional cultures in the East? Westernization is the idea of non-Western societies adopting certain aspects of American and European cultures and values. Amartya Sen discusses the concept in Development as Freedom, where he explains that traditional cultures aren’t necessarily at risk because of Western influence. Read below to learn more about Westernization, and determine if it’s as influential as many people say it is.
What was the Stanford Prison Experiment? What were the ethical issues of the experiment? In 1971, Philip Zimbardo turned the basement of Stanford University’s psychology building into a simulated prison, paying undergraduate male volunteers to act as prisoners and guards. Zimbardo detailed his findings in The Lucifer Effect, which discusses the nature of human evil. Keep reading to learn more about the ethical issues of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
What is the meaning of evil? Are humans born either good or evil? Psychologist Philip Zimbardo defines evil as any intentional harm done to innocent people. He also claims that anybody is capable of performing evil acts. Read more to learn the meaning of evil, according to Zimbardo in his book The Lucifer Effect.
Do you want to know how to improve decision-making? Are mechanical judgment tools better than human judgment? In the book Noise, the authors explain that one way to improve human judgments is actually to eliminate humans from the judgment process. Human judgments are full of noise and bias, which can be removed and replaced with statistical models or computer algorithms. Here’s how to improve decision-making by removing noise.
What is a loss of individuality? How can losing your sense of self and others cause evil? In The Lucifer Effect, psychologist Philip Zimbardo states that losing awareness of individuals can shift your morals. He also explains how this loss affected participants in the Stanford Prison Experiment. Continue reading to learn more about how a loss of individuality can affect morality.
What problems are developing countries facing? What are the causes of these problems? Hunger, population control, and famine are among the most concerning issues in less developed countries. Amartya Sen in Development as Freedom says that the underlying causes might not be what you think they are. Let’s look at these particular problems in developing countries and why Sen believes they became problems in the first place.
What are identity cues? How does the Stanford Prison Experiment show how identity cues can change your morals? Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says it’s normal to adapt our identity to our environment. However, he says that certain identity cues can influence us to do things that aren’t rational or morally good. Read more about identity cues, as explained in The Lucifer Effect.
What happens to the economy when women have fewer rights than men? What’s the best way to fix the gender bias against women? Amartya Sen in Development as Freedom states that misogyny is preventing developing countries from flourishing. Depriving women of basic rights has proven to increase crime rates and reduce female life expectancy, which means that fewer people can contribute to the economy. Learn more about the economic impact of gender inequality and how to put a stop to it.
What makes a person evil? Is it easy to become evil? The Lucifer Effect dives into the circumstantial factors that Philip Zimbardo believes can influence anyone to do evil. These factors include identity cues, social pressures, and losing awareness of individuality. Keep reading to learn what makes someone evil.