> He may retain his human dignity even in a concentration camp.
A key insight in ethics is that truly ethical decisions almost always go against the person making the decision.
A situation such as a concentration camp brings out the worst in some and the best in others in very stark contrast because of the environment, not because of the people in it. In less polarizing circumstances those on opposite ends of the spectrum might very well get along just fine.
A couple of movies and books bring that out really well, 'Der Faelscher' for instance, and the diary portion of the Odessa file as well as plenty of first hand accounts, such as the one you reference but also many others. The scary thing is that such an environment will also bring out the worst in otherwise decent people, and that our society in some ways does the same thing to its inhabitants, even if not on such a drastic scale.
A key insight in ethics is that truly ethical decisions almost always go against the person making the decision.
A situation such as a concentration camp brings out the worst in some and the best in others in very stark contrast because of the environment, not because of the people in it. In less polarizing circumstances those on opposite ends of the spectrum might very well get along just fine.
A couple of movies and books bring that out really well, 'Der Faelscher' for instance, and the diary portion of the Odessa file as well as plenty of first hand accounts, such as the one you reference but also many others. The scary thing is that such an environment will also bring out the worst in otherwise decent people, and that our society in some ways does the same thing to its inhabitants, even if not on such a drastic scale.