Ach! If Hitler had given me an immoral order I would have refused. Think of it! To break teeth out of a dead body! Think of it! Why, if I had been only a simple soldier, I would not have obeyed. I would have said that it was against my religious conviction. That dog Pohl knew all about it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker claims he would have refused immoral orders like removing teeth, blaming Pohl for knowing better.
- In plain terms
- He says he would not have obeyed orders to take teeth from corpses.
- What can you take from it?
- Claiming personal moral resistance while blaming others.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is this a plausible defense?
- How does hierarchy affect moral choice?
Another view
This contradicts his earlier admission of technical charge over camps.
More from Oswald Pohl
The exploitation of labor must be applied to the highest possible limits so that the job results in the rendered principle.
Permalink to quote #10 Pohl I did not know at all except, of course, that I had heard of him and perhaps I did see him occasionally at the Fuhrer's headquarters or at large meetings.…
Permalink to quote #12 Well, it was war - I could not have carried on as an administrative officer if I had let myself be swayed emotionally by my feelings.
Permalink to quote #9
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