
Not to Forgive, but to Understand
Emilie Caspar: Just Following Orders: The Brain Science of Obedience, and Obedience to Authority
Emilie Caspar is an associate professor at Ghent University and leader of the Moral and Social Brain Lab. Her book Just Following Orders: Atrocities and the Brain Science of Obedience examines obedience, responsibility, and harm under authority. This conversation discusses neuroscience, perpetrator behavior, rescuer behavior, and the phenomenon of obedience to authority. Not to Forgive, but to Understand, hosted by Sabah Carrim, examines genocide and mass atrocity through discussions with scholars, journalists, artists, and other stakeholders. 00:00 Opening 01:43 Introduction 02:08 Why neuroscience in genocide studies? 04:01 “Just following orders” and obedience to authority 08:45 Neuroscience, psychology, and legal defenses 13:52 Responsibility, explanation, and excuse 17:17 Awareness as prevention 19:51 How neuroscience research is conducted 22:34 Portable EEG and field research in Rwanda 28:44 Neurohype and public misunderstanding 31:49 Caspar’s next book and research on rescuers 34:42 What neuroscience adds to genocide studies 38:11 Neuroscience evidence in court 42:16 Skepticism toward neuroscience explanations 44:47 Phineas Gage and causality 46:25 Understanding as prevention 50:47 Milgram, resistance, and rescuers 52:56 Research access and current political violence 55:14 Closing

