Did the experiments performed by the Nazis in the concentration camps yield any information that was useful to us ?

by 0pt1c_S0ld13r

If so what info ?

NWA4Bernie

Not a historian here. But as a biology student going into medecine, I have taken bioethics where this question is often debated.

The first question is always, is it even ethical to study these experiments in the first place? When so many humans suffered is it insulting to their torture to try and yield something good from it, or is it best to not let their suffering go to waste and maybe be able to help other people if possible? These poor people were forced to go through this. It was completely involuntary and that's something to keep in mind.

As far as the nazi experimentation specifically goes, there's not really anything valuable that can be learned for a variety of reasons.

  1. the basis of their experiments were often not scientific because they had a skewed view of humanity. For instance their belief in aryan superiority.
  2. their experiments were often not done in a scientific manner. There were not proper controls or good samples. Sometimes results were fudged. Often expiriment were performed to validate an opinion rather than answer a scientific hypothesis.
  3. the subjects were not adequate representations of their groups. They experimented on Jews, dwarfs, gypsys, and homosexuals among others. And you have to remember that these samples are individuals under extreme stress, malnourishment, torture, and overall emotional and psychological trauma. They could not possibly be expected to have been representative of a normal, healthy individual of their prospective group.

It's disgusting and heart wrenching to think about this. I encourage anyone who has an opportunity to visit concentration/work camps and see it first hand. It can have a profound effect on how you view WWII. But this should always be a powerful reminder to keep compassion in science.

I would also encourage people to study the Tuskegee experiments where African Americans were abused in the name of pseudo scientific study. That might hit closer to home for Americans.

Searocksandtrees

Hi, not discouraging further contributions, but fyi you'll find several threads on this in the FAQ that are worth checking out. FAQ section WWII | Nazi Germany | Holocaust and Nazi Crimes Against Humanity | Human Experimentation: