Submitted by Dichotomy on
The Lucifer effect describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. This term was coined by the psychologist Phillip Zimbardo who conducted the famous Stanford Prison experiments in which normal people were grouped as 'prisoners' or 'guards'.
Within a short amount of time the guards became extremely aggressive towards the prisoners, so much that the experiment had to be shortened due to the severity of their treatment. The Lucifer effect describes when a situation turns normal 'good' people into perpetuators of immoral or 'evil' behaviors. The name comes from the mythological story that Lucifer was a good angel who became evil and was banished for his actions.
In essence, it recreated a Lord of the Flies scenario: Put good, intelligent people into a terrible situation in which the broader social and moral codes cease to apply, and the great majority of those good people will end up engaging in extraordinary acts of brutality. They will, quite simply, cease to respond as morally cognizant human beings. - https://prospect.org/article/democracy-evil-d2/
These are the psychological processes that Zimbardo identified that make up the Lucifer Effect:
- Conformity with a group. Solomon Asch theorized that certain social pressures sometimes drive us to carry out behaviors that may go against our values. For what? Acceptance.
- Obedience of authority, by Stanley Milgram. This phenomenon is common, for example, in groups with a military or police hierarchy. Here, a good portion of its members are capable of committing violent acts if they are justified or ordered by people with a higher ranking.
- Moral disconnection by Albert Bandura. People have their own moral codes and value systems. However, sometimes they do mental “pirouettes” even if it’s totally opposed to their principles. It may even get to the point where they see something that’s morally unacceptable as correct.
- Environmental factors. Dr. Zimbardo learned that these soldiers worked in 12 hour shifts 7 days a week — over 40 days without breaks. In fact, they slept in the cells. Also, the facilities were in poor condition, with mold, blood stains and human remains on the walls. They were suffering up to 20 mortar attacks per week as well.
Dehumanization was inevitable.
The situational factors, contextual social dynamics and psychological pressure can feed evil in any of us. We carry that “seed” in us, whether we like it or not. However, we can counteract that perverse side with determination, integrity, and clear limits. We can use these things to keep ourselves from forgetting who we are.
"Most people, most of the time, are moral creatures," Zimbardo writes. "But imagine that this morality is like a gearshift that at times gets pushed into neutral. When that happens, morality is disengaged." He goes on to argue that "the line between Good and Evil, once thought to be impermeable, proved instead to be quite permeable... Any deed that any human being has ever committed, however horrible, is possible for any of us -- under the right or wrong situational circumstances. That knowledge does not excuse evil; rather it democratizes it." - https://prospect.org/article/democracy-evil-d2/
https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Lucifer+Effect
https://exploringyourmind.com/lucifer-effect-why-can-commit-evil-acts/