Thursday, May 19, 2016
Dehumanization
In chapter thirteen of the Lucifer Effect, many examples of dehumanization are shown. Some include the Rape of Nanking, the Nazi genocide of Jews, slavery, and when the Japanese brutally massacred Chinese civilians. In all of these situations, the victims were viewed as animals such as insects, cockroaches, and rats. Sergeant Mejia stated, "You just sort of try to block out the fact that they are human beings and view them as enemies." I believe that dehumanization can relate to situated identity. Do you think that anyone can become like the people who were able to kill innocent civilians, Jews, and slaves? I believe that if put in the correct situation, anyone can be vulnerable to act out of character due to their surrounding environment. What are your thoughts on this topic?
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Agreed. Most people would say that they would never do certain things because it may be considered evil, however like Mr. Stewart said if someone is trying to kill you and you say that you were "defending" yourself than the situation isn't necessarily considered evil. No one once to be characterized as evil but given the right situation and surroundings, one's actions can definitely change.
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