Chapter 4- Dombrowski: Nazi Records; The Origin and Use of Information

Organization, Dissemination, and Use of Information
Nazi past-
-most of the information learned was retrieved from the Nuremberg trials
-found at the horrendous institutionalized abuse of people in the name of scientific and medical research

Controversy in the Present
-Medical specimens- scandals have arisen over human anatomical samples used in medical education
-"Research" information- the use of research done by the Nazi's in present day experiments to improve survival equipment

Values in Nazi Medical "Science"
Traditional view- "the healer became the killer, and healing became killing"
-the execution of numberless Jews and non-Jews was legitimated as medically necessary for the sake of racial health and purity
-masked language also played an important role in communications about the medical killings in many ways, both externally to the public and internally to bureaucrats, military officers, and doctors
Nazi anti-science-
-for some these horrible activities done in the name of medical science are explained on the basis of the intrinsic inhumaneness and unethicalness of science itself
-Nazi activities are extreme forms of the basic principles underlying all science and technology
-other say that many medical researchers, and a good deal of the general population in Nazi Germany, were disenchanted with traditional empirical science, so disenchanted as to deliberately, specifically oppose traditional science

Research in the U.S.
-the means by which info or knowledge in the form of evidence is obtained can greatly affects its validity and usability
-regardless of the indications of guilt that such evidence might reveal, if it was obtained illegally, then the information is considered not to exist and cannot be used as evidence

Nazi Technical Memorandum
-"Technical memorandum by Just on Gassing Vans"
-something is strange because there is a glaring absence of words
-masked language
-subject title of the document
-the document is actually technically excellent
-keep in mind that the technical values of excellence, effectiveness, efficiency and expediency came to replace many of the traditional social values of Germany
-"What we can do, we should do, largely because we can do it" - page 103
-Other technical communication in Nazi Germany
-the acquisition of Jewish skulls, particularly communist, by "induced death"
-document preventing the reproduction of specific race, Jews,
-there is an extreme emotional and ethical distance between the subject and researcher

Graphical Images
-Nuremberg Race Laws- making it illegal to have inter-racial blood relationships
-social Darwinism, "survival of the fittest"
-ethical problem was that political values came first
-technical procedures were established to identify Jews
-use of technology allows distancing between technician and the subject
-use of technology allows technician to remain detached from values behind the technology

Ethical Appraisal
Aristotle-condemns Nazi regime
Kant-assumes the equivalence of all people, indeed of all rational beings
Utilitarianism- seeks the greatest good for the greatest number, while what is good is defined in terms of usefulness
Feminist and Ethics of Care-Nazis showed an absolutely uncaring attitude toward their victims and absolutely refused to maintain any relationship with them, therefore their actions were utterly unethical