Neuroscience Reveals 'Following Orders' Reduces Moral Responsibility, Impacting Corporate and Institutional Ethics
This discussion about brain scans showing a decrease in moral perception when people act under pressure marks a shift in how we understand accountability in hierarchical structures. By referencing classic studies like the Milgram experiment, it offers a scientific perspective on why individuals in corporations or government agencies might make unethical decisions. This opens up a B2B opportunity for specialized corporate training and consulting. Businesses can develop and market leadership and ethics programs based on this neurological evidence, helping organizations build a culture of personal responsibility and reduce the "just following orders" excuse. It's a chance to offer a new, science-backed approach to corporate ethics, compliance, and management training.
Origin Reddit Post
r/science
Obeying orders lowers moral responsibility perception in the brain. People were asked to make moral decisions to inflict harm either freely or under coercion, and brain scans showed reduced n
Posted by u/mvea•06/07/2025
Top Comments
u/WildFEARKetI_II
It would be interesting to include senior military officers (at least more senior than cadets) to see if a difference emerges after repeatedly following orders for years or decades in the mil
u/Killintym
For the most part, I think that’s correct. I think it started down one path and ended in a completely different but. If you listen to the radio lab episode, they kind of covered all kinds of
u/pimpmastahanhduece
Often rhetorical and philosophical questions become meaningfully answerable with modern solutions.
u/GemcoEmployee92126
This jibes with my instincts but it’s nice to see some data. This kind of research dovetails in to how authoritarian governments and organizations are able to maintain control against common
u/SnooCrickets2458
Kinda like a neurological approach to the Milgram Experiment. Very neat.
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article-abstr
u/invariantspeed
Maybe. Some carefully designed studies would have to tease that out.
u/RipIcy8844
Thanks for bringing Radio Lab into the conversation! An enlightening and extremely informative program.
I've supported them since early 2000s.
Real science/philosophical impacts in Real tim
u/invariantspeed
It is, very much so. Problem is the conclusions have been borne out by other (better designed) experiments and the Stanford prison experiment is just good storytelling.
It’s still often taug
u/WildFEARKetI_II
It would be interesting to include senior military officers (at least more senior than cadets) to see if a difference emerges after repeatedly following orders for years or decades in the mil
u/invariantspeed
Radio Lab is very good at storytelling, but IIRC they discussed the Stanford prison experiment as if it wasn’t low quality science.
The conclusions of the study have been born out over the y
u/EvanStephensHall
It would be interesting to see if this applies to people who follow the moral code of their religion.
u/Killintym
The Stanford Prison Experiment sort of came to this conclusion. Radiolab did a really good piece on this some years ago.
u/GemcoEmployee92126
This jibes with my instincts but it’s nice to see some data. This kind of research dovetails in to how authoritarian governments and organizations are able to maintain control against common
u/davesmith001
This means cultures or countries which are more prone to rule following and deference to authority are also more likely to commit atrocities.
u/Killintym
For the most part, I think that’s correct. I think it started down one path and ended in a completely different but. If you listen to the radio lab episode, they kind of covered all kinds of
u/genshiryoku
What I found interesting is that psychopaths display the opposite behavior. Self-imposed behavior lack moral consideration but if it came from an order they will adopt the morality of the per
u/poopie_sandwich
First thing I thought of too!
u/EvanStephensHall
It would be interesting to see if this applies to people who follow the moral code of their religion.
u/RipIcy8844
Thanks for bringing Radio Lab into the conversation! An enlightening and extremely informative program.
I've supported them since early 2000s.
Real science/philosophical impacts in Real tim
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/pichael288
Nazis, the current people in ICE. Always the same no matter how much time passes, we never learn.
u/genshiryoku
What I found interesting is that psychopaths display the opposite behavior. Self-imposed behavior lack moral consideration but if it came from an order they will adopt the morality of the per
u/Morthra
Not only that but the researchers were actively participating in the experiment to try and produce the outcome they wanted.
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/anomie89
last I heard the Stanford prison experiment is now an example of poorly controlled experimentation instead of what it used to be known for.
u/SpiderMurphy
"The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority."
- Stanley Milgram (1974)
u/invariantspeed
One could argue that amounts to conflicting orders.
u/TaltosDreamer
Yes.
Why does everyone think corporations (especially in health insurance) put so many layers in between decision makers and the people who die when denied coverage?
Why do other corporatio
u/Killintym
The Stanford Prison Experiment sort of came to this conclusion. Radiolab did a really good piece on this some years ago.
u/SnooCrickets2458
Kinda like a neurological approach to the Milgram Experiment. Very neat.
u/pichael288
Nazis, the current people in ICE. Always the same no matter how much time passes, we never learn.
u/pimpmastahanhduece
Often rhetorical and philosophical questions become meaningfully answerable with modern solutions.
u/anomie89
last I heard the Stanford prison experiment is now an example of poorly controlled experimentation instead of what it used to be known for.
u/Morthra
Not only that but the researchers were actively participating in the experiment to try and produce the outcome they wanted.
u/SpiderMurphy
"The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority."
- Stanley Milgram (1974)
u/tisd-lv-mf84
What happens when neural markers are reduced? Do you become stupid? You began to not care and cause more harm than what was asked?
u/invariantspeed
That’s because psychopaths, lacking emotional depth, tend to mirror those with whom they interact.
u/TaltosDreamer
Yes.
Why does everyone think corporations (especially in health insurance) put so many layers in between decision makers and the people who die when denied coverage?
Why do other corporatio
u/mvea
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article-abstr
u/poopie_sandwich
First thing I thought of too!
u/Kazimierzowska
That is really concern