Morgan Scott Peck (23 May 1936 – 25 September 2005) was a US psychiatrist and best-selling author of his first book, “The Road Less Traveled” (1978) and “People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil” (1983) (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Scott_Peck ) .
M. Scott Peck in his book “People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil” describes “group immaturity” in which specialization enables groups operate with greater efficiency but with the consequence that the collective conscience becomes diluted and fragmented (e.g. the 1969 Mylai Massacre): “Any group will remain inevitably potentially conscienceless and evil until such time as each and every individual holds himself or herself directly responsible for the behavior of the whole group – the organism – of which he or she is a part. We have not yet begun to arrive at that point.” [1-3].
[1]. M. Scott Peck in his book “People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil”,
[2]. Peck quoted in James Weller “Becoming Evil” How orsianry Peoplke Commit Genocide and Mass MUder” (pp36-37).
[3[. Peck quoted in Aminatta Forna, “The Memory if Love” (Acknowledgements).
NB Lt Col. David Grossman, “On Killing: the Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society”: “Groups can provide a diffusion of responsibility that will enable individuals in mobs and soldiers in military units to commit acts that they would never dream of doing as individuals”.