View/Open - Scholarly Commons Home

Objectification.
Intention
Deception
Levels of bad faith
Lynndie England was a soldier in the United States army. She had adopted
Milgram’s agentic state.
Ms England intentionally adopted the agentic state, both during the time of
the incident and thereafter.
Ms England rescinded decision making to a higher authority and denied any
responsibility for the torture of Iraqi detainees.
Ms England’s adoption of the agentic state appears to have led to a high
level of self-deception, claiming that she did not realise what she was doing
was wrong.
Conscious awareness
Good faith
Even though Ms England denies that she knew what she was doing was
wrong, the attainment of complete objectification and self-deception is not
possible. Ms England had her life experiences prior to being in the military
to draw on. Ms England also had a period of reflection after the incident. In
this time she could have taken responsibility for her actions rather than
continue to deny her own involvement. Ms England was likely to have been
aware that there was no written order and the abuse was not part of the jail’s
usual interrogation techniques.
Ms England, in good faith, could have declined to be involved in the abuse
which was outside usual military procedure. Additionally, if she had felt
compelled at the time to follow the military order, she could have admitted
in good faith to her part in assaulting and mistreating detainees at the prison
afterwards.
125