Ethics in Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics in Research - Essay Example If animals other than man -- what is known to us as the lower form of life -- are defended and fought by animal activists, how much more for the higher form of life! In general, the modern man no longer accepts any type of experiment done to the human race. Lesson from the Experiment In spite of the horrible nature of Zimbardo’s experiment, there are several things that we can get (i.e., as lessons) from such laboratory experiment. Most fundamental to the experiment is the shocking revelation pertaining to truth -- or parcel of truth -- on the nature of man: Is man inherently evil? The participants in the 1971 experiment, especially those who played as jail officers, showed a strange character upon portraying their designated â€Å"role.† Prior to the experiment, these participants -- as University students -- are reasonable and sensible individuals, doing their academic tasks in order to attain an honorable degree. In the course of the experiment, however, good guys be came bad guys. The â€Å"jail officers† exhibited sadistic behavior towards their â€Å"prisoners.† In essence, this is surprising because of their inhumane or, if you may, â€Å"uncivilized† action or reaction against the perplexed prisoners. End and Means To a modern mind, the end does not justify the means.