Group Project Sociology 2306: "One Survivor Remembers"

1. Why do you suppose some "survivors" commit their lives to telling the story of what they experienced, while others never talk about the experience, even to their families?

2. How would you evaluate the morality of someone who says: "I may work for an evil institution, but I make it a better place." I'm thinking of course of the woman who headed the first work camp where Gerda Klein found herself. Should she instead have actively resisted the system, or refused to cooperate?

3. Most of us probably believe that there are standards of good and evil that go beyond the particular society or culture in which we live; we mostly approve of the Nuremburg trials after World War II, in which the concept of crimes against humanity was developed. What principles should be included under the heading "international law," and who should make decisions about the application of those principles?

4. What is the obligation of institutions like churches or synagogues in relation to government policies that are evil?

5. What is the obligation of universities?

6. What is the obligation of individuals?