The Stanford Experiment:

Is it really correct to sacrifice people and pain over progress?

This is the question that we will be centering our text. Is it actually a good thing to
put progress over pain and suffering when setting up our priorities?

By using the Kantian Theory of ethics, we must put aside all logical commands in
order to cathegorize. When talking about the Stanford experiment, we can start by
asking ourselves if we value or not respect towards one another, and if we take pride
in keeping a certain order in spite of humilliation and treating people as items in
experiments.

The kantian Theory responds to morality, to surpass the barrier of progress and look
at science from a society point of view. Would we agree on using people as means to
an end? Would understandment justify this kind of experiment, that compromises
the integrity of the people involved? Would we dare to trust, in the name of morals,
people? Kant would say no to all this, because for morals,an action has to agree with
the basic and most important characteristic of the human kind.

On the other side, isnt progress the ultimate frontier for researchers and scientists?
Isnt all progress made by them? J. Bentham would say that this is correct, because
according to his theory, science would sufice when searching for the ultimate
bennefit. Utilitarism works like math, and as long as the means obtained are a bigger
gain to the people, in spite of suffering and pain being involved in the formula.

In the experiment, people were summoned for an experience regarding a jail

envoronment, recreating the actual roles and duties of guards and prisioners, along
with punishments and lock down. The results included violence and power abuse,
pain, severe injuries and endless psychological abuse. These conducts do not include
the pre-set activities set for the experiment. Was this considered ethical, according
to utilitarianism? Yes. Utilitarianism would consider this to be the best and correct
thing to do, as it would mean thatit bennefits the most, with the suffering of the few.

While we have different perspectives regarding the case, and the truth is that we
cannot choose just one side, because they are contradictory perspectives and they
will adjust to a determined context, in a determined time. While Utilitarianism
bennefits the most, moralities of Katian Theory only maintain a balance in society,
while they could or could not, bring a better outcome. Utilitarianism and Kantian
Theory can be used simultaneously by a society, as long as the terms are set and the
contexts are defined for each use of ethics.