Obedience to Authority in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Milgram's Lessons on Ivermectin Suppression
et al., figshare, doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.33941086, Sep 2026
Ivermectin for COVID-19
4th treatment shown to reduce risk in
August 2020, now with p < 0.0000000001 from 106 studies, recognized in 24 countries.
No treatment is 100% effective.
Protocols combine treatments.
Application of Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments as a psychological framework to analyze the suppression of ivermectin and other drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors argue that deference to authority, diffusion of responsibility, and peer conformity led medical professionals and scientists to comply with institutional directives against ivermectin use, at the cost of patient lives. Authors argue that language framing (e.g., "misinformation," "anti-science," "horse medicine") was used to stigmatize dissent and suppress independent clinical judgment.
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Aldous et al., 18 Sep 2026, peer-reviewed, 3 authors.
Contact: eleftherios.gkioulekas@utrgv.edu.
Abstract: ## Obedience to Authority in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Milgram's Lessons on Ivermectin Suppression
Colleen Aldous 1 , Ingbert Misselhorn 2 , Eleftherios Gkioulekas 3 , ∗
- 1 College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
- 2 Retired, The Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 3 School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg TX 78539, USA
- ∗ Corresponding author: Eleftherios Gkioulekas, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539-2909; Email: eleftherios.gkioulekas@utrgv.edu
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to public health policy, clinical decision-making, and scientific discourse. One of the most polarizing issues was the suppression of repurposed drugs, particularly ivermectin, despite early observational signals and biological plausibility. This commentary applies the psychological framework of Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments to explain how deference to authority, diffusion of responsibility, and peer conformity may have contributed to the widespread dismissal and active suppression of alternative COVID-19 treatments. Drawing on historical and institutional analysis, we argue that the medical and scientific community's obedience to regulatory and professional authorities, while understandable under crisis conditions, often stifles legitimate inquiry and ethical responsiveness. Language and framing, particularly the use of terms like 'misinformation', 'anti-science', and 'unproven cure' and the misuse of evidence-based medicine principles to suppress evidence, further reinforced compliance and marginalized dissent. We emphasize that while institutional guidance is vital during emergencies, it should not negate clinicians' and researchers' moral agency. The piece concludes with an ethical call to re-examine accountability in scientific decision-making and to foster professional environments that support critical engagement rather than rote adherence to top-down directives. By revisiting Milgram's insights, we highlight the enduring importance of vigilance against the psychological and systemic forces that can lead well-meaning professionals to suppress innovation and ethical action in times of crisis.
Keywords: COVID-19; ivermectin; SARS-CoV-2; Milgram experiment; obedience
DOI record:
{
"DOI": "10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.33941086",
"URL": "https://figshare.com/articles/preprint/Obedience_to_Authority_in_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_Milgram_s_Lessons_on_Ivermectin_Suppression/33941086",
"abstract": "The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to public health policy, clinical decision-making, and scientific discourse. One of the most polarizing issues was the suppression of repurposed drugs, particularly ivermectin, despite early observational signals and biological plausibility. This commentary applies the psychological framework of Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments to explain how deference to authority, diffusion of responsibility, and peer conformity may have contributed to the widespread dismissal and active suppression of alternative COVID-19 treatments. Drawing on historical and institutional analysis, we argue that the medical and scientific community’s obedience to regulatory and professional authorities, while understandable under crisis conditions, often stifles legitimate inquiry and ethical responsiveness. Language and framing, particularly the use of terms like “misinformation”, “anti-science”, and “unproven cure” and the misuse of evidence-based medicine principles to suppress evidence, further reinforced compliance and marginalized dissent. We emphasize that while institutional guidance is vital during emergencies, it should not negate clinicians’ and researchers’ moral agency. The piece concludes with an ethical call to re-examine accountability in scientific decision-making and to foster professional environments that support critical engagement rather than rote adherence to top-down directives. By revisiting Milgram’s insights, we highlight the enduring importance of vigilance against the psychological and systemic forces that can lead well-meaning professionals to suppress innovation and ethical action in times of crisis.",
"author": [
{
"family": "Aldous",
"given": "Colleen"
},
{
"family": "Misselhorn",
"given": "Ingbert"
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{
"family": "Gkioulekas",
"given": "Eleftherios"
}
],
"categories": [
"Infectious diseases",
"Medical ethics",
"Epistemology",
"Social psychology"
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"copyright": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International",
"id": "https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.33941086",
"issued": {
"date-parts": [
[
2026,
9,
19
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"publisher": "figshare",
"title": "Obedience to Authority in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Milgram's Lessons on Ivermectin Suppression",
"type": "article"
}