Breakfast: Transforming Evil into Heroism

Monday, October 10, 2011, 9.00–9.50, Žofín Palace, Resturant

Introduction:

Jakub Klepal, Deputy Executive Director, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czech Republic

Remarks:

Philip Zimbardo, Psychologist, USA

 

 

Professor Zimbardo asked what evil is, what makes people go wrong, and how do we create and support heroes, looking at different aspects of society where both evil and heroism is to be located. Firstly professor Zimbardo pointed to poverty as a systematic evil. Stating that “in the USA 20% of the children live in poverty”. This sets the stage for bad actions, especially in ghettos. But, the line between good and evil is not fixed, pointing to how poverty does not turn everyone evil. The line is permeable, allowing flowing across the boundaries in both directions. “The line of good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being” The line shifts inside us” depending on outside factors.

 

To explore this statement Professor Zimbardo firstly looked at what evil is. He points to “the Lucifer effect; It is possible to seduce good people to do bad things by giving them too much, or no power”. Arguing that “evil is exercise and abuse of power”, not only being exercised by people and individuals, but by systems too. As Genocide, it can be destruction of people by their own government, and draws on an example of the Chinese government; manipulating their people to smoke, because the state owns the tobacco industry. On the individual basis Mr. Zimbardo points to, amongst others, obedience to authority, anonymity and de-individualizing, as being factors that turn people evil.

 

Evil, he concludes, operates on three levels; dispositional “bad apples”, situational; “bad barrel” being both social and physical, and lastly; systemic. A lastProfessor Zimbardo asks what heroism actually is. Stating that caring is not enough. “we need to act – that is what heroism is.” It is engagement in voluntary acts, involving a risk to physical comfort. Heroism is not an inborn quality, it is thought. Mr. Zimbardo states that heroes are ordinary people doing extra ordinary actions. “Taking small actions that can have a ripple affect, pushing a little bit in the direction of justice”. Heroism is people power, civic responsibility. To fight evil he concludes, we need to create a network for heroes and democratize. Anyone can be a hero, if we “demystify, diffuse and declare.”