Question

What elements in society allowed for the poor and sometimes horrific treatment of humans in research studies? Have those elements changed much now? What keeps us from repeating history? What area of current research may be operating in an ethical gray space? Please justify your answer.

Answer 1

One significant reason to the unkind behaviour of humans towards one another is empathy deficit. The lack of basic human virtues over which we used to operate earlier, such as compassion are now diminishing at an unimaginable pace. If one links this with the pioneers of psychology, Freud understood this as a culmination of sexual desire and aggression. These basically have biological and psychological basis and are inherent in us. This is a natural impulse; however we as humans are familiar with how to keep such impulses in control in order to live in harmony with other beings and co-existing. In fact, Heinz a Freudian psychoanalyst had argued that aggression against another person is psychologically motivated. Moreover, this is usually felt as a result of interplay between complex negative emotions, which in turn are a result of not being accepted by others in our lives. These elements are much changed now. Mostly the reason is the changing demographic functions of different countries or states. When people suffer, they want to instil the same pain onto others in terms of a revengeful act. Nowadays, therefore the natural impulse is less into power of more of an ego boost or a sadistic act to show superiority over other fellow beings. Earlier the acts of violence were of a defense or survival instinct based. Nowadays, a threat to communities is lesser of a challenge than the risk of intentional psychological damage to another in order to gratify oneself. This is a result of evolving mindsets and way of operating amidst mankind. Many areas of research may be involved in an ethical grey space, such as role of media nowadays, which is manipulated to a great deal. Moreover, the practices of conducting research in itself are questionable due to the intentional manipulation in order to get desired results thereafter.