SOC 104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Santa Barbara City College
Document Summary
Three patterns of tyranny"s interactionist social psychology: Carnahan mcfarland-suggest that if we want to understand how people are acting in extreme situations. We should not neglect the character of those who are putting themselves in situations like this. This is a simple point, with far-reaching consequences. Most importantly, it asks us to question a consensus on the origins of evil that has existed for over 40 years. According to this theory, evil triumphs because good, decent individuals turn helplessly into monsters when they find themselves in horrific circumstances. Notably when they subvert their judgment to a powerful group through deference. The notion of the "banality of evil" encapsulates this view, and its influence stems from a peculiar symbiosis between the beliefs of philosophers, historians, and social psychologists. These have reinforced each other, and have had a significant impact on society as a whole. The banality-of-evil argument "has become a permanent feature of western thought, a staple of modern culture," as.
