关键词: 犹太创伤, 艾希曼, 平庸之恶, 社会心理学, 从众与服从

Abstract: In the history of social psychology, the influence of others or groups on individual behavior has always been an interesting and fruitful field. At the very beginning, Lewin attempted to use the concept of "group dynamics" to explore the interaction of various potential dynamics in groups, the influence of groups on individual behavior, and the psychological relationship among group members. Later, Sherif and Asch each applied experimental methods to confirm the extent to which individual judgment was influenced by other people's or group norms. Further, Nazi Germany's frenzied massacre of Jews in World War II, as well as the mechanical, cold and ruthless performance of executioners like Eichmann for "fulfilling their duties" not only triggered Arendt's discussion about "the banality of evil" but also led to the obedience behavior experiments in the field of social psychology by Milgram. If Arendt profoundly revealed the darkness of human nature hidden behind the daily routines, then Milgram proved that people under pressure indeed had a tendency to blindly follow. In fact, both Arendt's insights and Milgram's experiments are directly derived from the long term physical and spiritual trauma that the Jews suffered in World War II. It is the long time suffering of Jewish people that makes the issue of conformity and obedience a haunting nightmare for Jewish scholars, and also a lasting alternative narrative in the field of social psychology. If one considers that all kinds of network chaos caused by the development of communication in contemporary society, especially the fact that "cyber violence" may bring about "the banality of evil" once again, this discussion certainly holds very significant value.

Key words: Jewish trauma, Eichmann, the banality of evil, social psychology, conformity and obedience