Can Evil Be Predicted?

Typed by:  Connor Coughlin

            Can evil be predicted? In this paper, it will expose 4 different

studies/experiments showing how evil can be predicted and or explained. First

starting with a voluntary experiment, religion, a study of the brain, and following

orders. Can evil be predicted, in these experiments, yes.

            To begin with, a voluntary experiment with Stanford University students and

a professor. Several students volunteered to be prisoners and several volunteered to

be prison guards. The guards were told to run the prison any style they pleased.

Within a couple days in, they turned on to harsh treatment of the prisoners. They

acted out instances of torcher and humiliation. For example, stripping prisoners

naked, forcing them to do numerous amounts of pushups, spraying them with

freezing cold fire extinguishers. No reasoning behind these acts other than it was

their prison, and they turned on A-hole mode on just because they could. Maybe it

was the freedom that was given to the guards that could’ve predicted it.

            Secondly, religion in this film was regarded to terminate the evil from a

person’s body. As in the film the murderer that was convicted, asked if to be

baptized. It was a controversial act, an outrage to some.

            A study of the brain was conducted to determine what causes evil acts, or

what prevents them. The students and professors conducting this, observed brain

activity by putting people in a cat scan machine while presenting them with texts of

scenarios, and there decisions would be monitored. In some of the cases they put,

would you smother a baby if you were African women with a newborn child. You

and your townspeople are hiding in a safe location with enemy soldiers nearby.

Your baby cries out and you either smother your baby to death to save you and the

others or you let your baby cry out and everyone would be found an most likely

killed including the baby. Can evil be predicted in this situation? Maybe in this case

some would consider both acts evil. So evil could be predicted just by looking at this

situation whatever decision you make, it’s going to be wrong in some ones eyes.

            Following orders is the last exploitation in this essay. In parts of Africa it’s a

lawless land with civil war and rebellion. Young men’s family’s are killed and raped

in front of their eyes, only to be forced to become a soldier in the rebels. To predict

this evil take a look at the leader to see what orders are being given. If a man is

going to follow orders blindly to kill a whole village of innocent people, evil can be

predicted. What makes this happen to the man pulling the trigger? Possibly fear for

his own life for if he doesn’t follow his general’s orders then his life is in danger.

            Overall, the experience shared through the classroom could be described as

slightly disturbed. How can something like that occur? The most infectious thing in

the world isn’t bacteria nor a parasite, but an idea.

Connor Coughlin