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posted by martyb on Friday October 11 2019, @12:17AM   Printer-friendly
from the When-in-the-course-of-human-events... dept.

Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale, described the horror of the authoritarian regime of Gilead. In this theocracy, self-preservation was the best people could hope for, being powerless to kick against the system. But her sequel, The Testaments, raises the possibility that individuals, with suitable luck, bravery and cleverness, can fight back.

But can they? There are countless examples of past and present monstrous regimes in the real world. And they all raise the question of why people didn't just rise up against their rulers. Some of us are quick to judge those who conform to such regimes as evil psychopaths – or at least morally inferior to ourselves.

To answer this question, let's start by considering a now classic analysis by American organisational theorist James March and Norwegian political scientist Johan Olsen from 2004.

They argued that human behaviour is governed by two complementary, and very different, "logics". According to the logic of consequence, we choose our actions like a good economist: weighing up the costs and benefits of the alternative options in the light of our personal objectives. This is basically how we get what we want.

But there is also a second logic, the logic of appropriateness. According to this, outcomes, good or bad, are often of secondary importance – we often choose what to do by asking "What is a person like me supposed to do in a situation like this"?

The idea is backed up by psychological research. Human social interactions depend on our tendency to conform to unwritten rules of appropriate behaviour. Most of us are truthful, polite, don't cheat when playing board games and follow etiquette. We are happy to let judges or football referees enforce rules. A recent study showed we even conform to arbitrary norms.

[...] A small number of us, however, would rebel – but not primarily, I suspect, based on differences in individual moral character. Rebels, too, need to harness the logic of appropriateness – they need to find different norms and ideals, shared with fellow members of the resistance, or inspired by history or literature. Breaking out of one set of norms requires that we have an available alternative.

Would you stand up to an oppressive regime or would you conform?

Do you agree with this analysis? What would you do in such situations?


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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by JoeMerchant on Friday October 11 2019, @02:01AM (3 children)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Friday October 11 2019, @02:01AM (#905535)

    Don't forget Milgram...

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  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday October 11 2019, @03:27AM (2 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday October 11 2019, @03:27AM (#905580) Journal

    Milgram and Pavlov and Skinner, oh my!

    Anyway, the use of "appropriateness" sounds fishy, so condescending and superficial...

    Look at the anti-sex religions as the most successful tool of oppression. It kills the the desire to rebel through guilt. Starts when they punish the kid for playing with himself. Stop that! Rebellion is sinful! Against God! That shit works.

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    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Friday October 11 2019, @01:27PM (1 child)

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Friday October 11 2019, @01:27PM (#905714)

      That shit works.

      Or backfires, usually both - leading to the classic Catholic guilt/schizo disorder.

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      • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Friday October 11 2019, @06:21PM

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Friday October 11 2019, @06:21PM (#905962) Journal

        A quick tour through the Vatican's vaults and market portfolios will show you just how schizo and "disorderly" they are...

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        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..