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For anyone who doesn't know, the title of this article is a reference to Hannah Arendt, a political theorist who made her career covering the trial of Nazi war

For anyone who doesn't know, the title of this article is a reference to Hannah Arendt, a political theorist who made her career covering the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. She coined the phrase 'The Banality of Evil.' This was in reference to the idea that people will follow the orders of authority figures even if they conflict with personal beliefs.

thebear 13y ago
Additional info: there's a new movie out this weekend about Hannah Arendt and her covering the Eichmann trial. It got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hannah_arendt/ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hannah_arendt/
DanielRibeiro 13y ago
pg has written about some Milgram Experiment[1] on The Perils of Obedience[2] which actually seems to comfirm this idea that people will follow the orders of authority figures even if they conflict with personal beliefs. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=W147ybOdgpE http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... [2] http://www.paulgraham.com/perils.html http://www.paulgraham.com/perils.html
- smsm42 13y ago
  I suspect if the authority figure says "Our motto is don't be evil, so do as I say and it's not evil since we do no evil", compliance would be even better.
mattmillr 13y ago
In the transcript of the June 2011 meeting between Schmidt and Assange, Schmidt also makes a reference to 'The Banality of Evil' (http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt.html http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt.html)
ianstormtaylor 13y ago
Interestingly in this interview between Assange, Cohen and Schmidt, which was linked elsewhere in the comments, Schmidt was actually the first one to say the phrase "the banality of evil". [1] [1]:http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt?nocache#1125 http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt?noca...

thebear 13y ago

Additional info: there's a new movie out this weekend about Hannah Arendt and her covering the Eichmann trial. It got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hannah_arendt/ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hannah_arendt/

DanielRibeiro 13y ago

pg has written about some Milgram Experiment[1] on The Perils of Obedience[2] which actually seems to comfirm this idea that people will follow the orders of authority figures even if they conflict with personal beliefs. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=W147ybOdgpE http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... [2] http://www.paulgraham.com/perils.html http://www.paulgraham.com/perils.html

smsm42 13y ago
I suspect if the authority figure says "Our motto is don't be evil, so do as I say and it's not evil since we do no evil", compliance would be even better.

mattmillr 13y ago

In the transcript of the June 2011 meeting between Schmidt and Assange, Schmidt also makes a reference to 'The Banality of Evil' (http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt.html http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt.html)

ianstormtaylor 13y ago

Interestingly in this interview between Assange, Cohen and Schmidt, which was linked elsewhere in the comments, Schmidt was actually the first one to say the phrase "the banality of evil". [1] [1]:http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt?nocache#1125 http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt?noca...