Milgram Experiment: Obedience to Authority (Allegory of the Clan)

We continue to explore the darker side of human behavior through the Allegory of the Clan, a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment that allows us to examine uncomfortable topics in a safe environment where we can learn and grow together.

(Illustrative Only)
We learn by sharing
stories and understanding
each other. It reduces
hate and corruption 
by raising collective
awareness of the dangers
of not focusing on
our shared interests
and those of the next
generation. It is 
the people who should
be the ultimate stakeholders
of all institutional effort.
Elect the best and brightest
and not the most connected
or vetted. 

The Milgram experiments examined what happens when people blindly follow authority. Participants generally did not want to hurt anyone, yet many continued what they believed were increasingly dangerous electric shocks because an authority figure told them to continue. The research was partly motivated by questions surrounding obedience during the Holocaust and other acts of mass violence.

This raises an important question: What happens when obedience is combined with hatred, discrimination, or the belief that certain people are less worthy than others? Would that issue be compunded in places were corruption was also present?

Now, think what would be the overall solution to increase togetherness, strengthen checks-n-balances, and support those who work with honor for the public good while minimizing the impact of those engaged in misusing systems.

That pressure to do what is good over what is wrong comes from our collective will and efforts.

If people are discouraged from speaking up, questioning authority, or defending important values, harmful behavior can become normalized. Over time, unwritten rules can develop that reward conformity and even collective hatred. Speaking up slows that process by increasing awareness and reflection. 

The Allegory of the Clan explores how this process can happen. It reminds us why freedom of speech, rule of law, checks and balances, and the ability to challenge authority are important. We should carefully consider who we place in positions of authority, including judges and other leaders, while recognizing that most people want to do the right thing.

Ultimately, this is not about punishing people. It is about justice, accountability, and creating a society where fairness and the rule of law become deeply held expectations and part of our social contract.

*As a learning allegory you may come to change around the elements, find new solutions, disagree, etc. As long as you thought about it then all is well. Take with a grain of salt.

The Milgram Experiment: Obedience to Authority

• Milgram studied how people respond to authority, even when instructions conflict with personal values.

• Participants believed they were giving increasingly strong electric shocks to another person.

• About 65% continued to the maximum 450-volt level when instructed by the experimenter.

• Obedience decreased when participants were closer to the person receiving the supposed shocks.

• The study influenced psychology while also raising important ethical concerns about deception and participant stress.

Lewis, T. T. (2024). Milgram experiment. EBSCO Research Starters. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/health-and-medicine/milgram-experiment