: The Reptile Report #010799.2
: OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY

: Obedience to Authority by Stanley Millgram (Published in the
: 1970s.) Made into a television movie (1975/76?) called
: "The Tenth Level" starring William Shantner.

For what it may or may not be worth: I remember the early 70's, and we're not who we were, then.

There was no long hair on guys in America in the 50's or the early 60's. 'Donna Reed' and 'Father Knows Best' and 'Leave it to Beaver' and 'Ed Sullivan' were prime time TV offerings. George Carlin was clean-shaven (and neurotic) and wore a narrow-legged suit. Woodstock (1969) hadn't happened yet (much less 'Star Wars' :). There was no MTV.

I suggest that the study in question, at the time it was conducted, can be interpreted in more than one way.

I suggest that, yes, it did reveal a pattern of obedience to the authority of "greater knowledge and learning" as represented by men in white coats with clipboards. "Going to college" was a central element of "The American Dream" at the time. "Dr. Kildare", "Ben Casey" and "Marcus Welby, M.D." were our visions of doctors, then.

_That_ obedience to authority rested on a belief that there was "good reason" for the authority to be obeyed, the reason being, "This guy in the white coat really does have knowledge, and therefore wisdom, that I do not have."

I suggest, also, that some of the study subjects who went to "the tenth level" had intimated that things were not as they seemed. I'd bet they continued in a context of suspecting (perhaps knowing, even) that the screams coming from the next room were not real ones, no matter how well acted - it's possible to "feel" whether someone is in pain or not. I suggest, not feeling a sense of urgency to cease the experiment, they went along for the ride.