'Review Of Stanley Milgram's Experiments On Obedience'

In her article "Review of Stanley Milgram's Experiments on Obedience", Diana Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist, castigates a Stanley Milgram experiment which created a scenario where a test subject was asked to "torture" a fellow test subject if they answered a question incorrectly. Baumrind believes flaws in the experiment exist. For example, she believes one complication with the experiment is the conditions leave the subject vulnerable. She adds to the argument by stating, "The subject has the right to assume that his security and self-esteem will be protected" (Baumrind 90). Overall, she believes the accused fallacies of the Milgram experiment discredit his findings as well as science of psychology (Baumgrind 94). "Obedience"

Ian Parker states that Milgram was struggling to find a place for his findings, but they seemed to naturally be attracted to the Nazi factor (Parker 97). Many people combat finding how the Holocaust occurred, so the Milgram Experiment could be used as an answer to this lurking question. Heinrich Boere, a former Nazi soldier, would wholeheartedly agree because of his personal experiences. Boere admitted to carrying out two murders while in service in Nazi Germany, but he stated he was acting on the orders of his superiors. He also revealed he would be sent to a concentration camp if he declined the carry out the shootings ("Heinrich Boere: Reporters cleared over Nazi interview"). With this knowledge from a first-hand account, a logical judgement can be created that superior orders do in fact affect a subordinate's actions. Baumrind would argue that Nazi soldiers would not feel fear from their superior because she states, "The victims were perceived as subhuman and not worthy of consideration" (Baumrind 93). Many people cannot comprehend how a race of people can be hated to the point of extermination. David Cesarani, an English historian who specializes in Jewish history, attempts to unveil this anomaly; he explains that general distaste for the Jewish culture was worldwide; however, it was augmented in Germany because Jews were felt to be the cause behind Germany's economic and social struggles ("The Nazi Hatred of Jews"). Cesarani would agree with Baumrind on her claim that the origin of the Holocaust was the excessive prejudice. If the logic behind Baumrind's assertion is true, then the criminal proceedings concerning crimes committed by Nazi officers would all dismiss the claim of solely following