Authority and Obedience

One of the most well-known and well-publicized Nazi generals was Eichmann. During his trial, his defense was that he was merely carrying out orders from those above him. By using this defense, he attempted to remove the blame from himself. He obediently filled out the paperwork that was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jews simply because his superiors ordered him to. It was Eichmann’s belief that, because he was not directly responsible for delivering the killing blows, he could escape responsibility because his superiors told him to do it. If society follows the same path as Eichmann, people would be nothing more than tools; unthinkingly carrying out our superior’s every desire regardless of the harm it may cause others. Blind obedience that leads to nothing but pain and suffering is destructive and undeserving of followers; people deserve their independence and should open their eyes to what they are asked to do.

There exists a legal defense for those who try to escape blame by claiming they were only following orders: the Nuremberg Defense. Popularized during the Nazi war trials, it is a frequent defense by corporations and low-level troops. Corporations use the Nuremberg defense when they go to court for reverse discrimination lawsuits, as the government did order them to hire more minorities. Even members of the CIA, such as ex-Milan station chief Robert Seldon Lady, claim they were merely ‘following orders’ from superiors. Beginning in 2004, media attention was drawn to the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Reports stated that soldiers were following the orders of private contractors under command of the United States Department of Defense. Allegations of “physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide” performed by military personnel prompted an investigation into the prison. Many of the soldiers claimed that the abuse was authorized by their superiors, attempting to shift the blame away from themselves. That these soldiers, who Americans respect, have succumbed to the absolute authority of their superiors to perform inhumane acts on prisoners of war does not provide a suitable role model to Americans.

The human race is defined by their actions towards others. Causing harm to others merely because someone orders them to is not cause to follow through with the directive. If one has the choice to either follow orders or assert their individuality, the decision should be theirs to make.