Bureaucratic fragmentation lets evil proceed with no participant seeing its outcome

Evidence

The abuses occurred in a prison with all types of authorizers but no clear line of authority. These conditions created a climate of legitimization of torturous practices that incriminated no one. The graphic photos of abuse and humiliation at Abu Ghraib commanded worldwide attention, but the singular focus on Abu Ghraib made it easy to dismiss the abusive practices as isolated aberrations perpetrated by a few rogue guards who violated military rules. As the investigative report by the army’s inspector general succinctly put it, “these abuses should be viewed as what they are—unauthorized actions taken by a few individuals” (White & Higham, 2004). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2407 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Organizations can drift into evil without any member intending it — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3984; The scale and momentum of bureaucratic machinery enables resignation to evil. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3907; Evil acts mainly arise from organizational pathologies rather than intrinsically evil individuals — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4037 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Diffuse chains of command legitimize abuses while incriminating no one #expands (0.92) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2407