Institutional cruelty is a model developed by Philip Hallie, who believes ethics are rooted in passion and common sense rather than in technical science.
Hallie sites a quote from a Nazi SS Officer stating, "Commitment [to an institution] that overrides all sentimentality transforms cruelty and destruction into moral nobility, and commitment is the lifeblood of an institution," (Hallie "From Cruelty to Goodness" 7).
His writing and statements have made particular reference to the admiration he holds for members of the French Resistance at Le Chambon-sur-Lignon.
"The power of the majority and the weakness of a minority were at the center of institutional cruelty of slavery and Nazi anti-Semitism."
"[3] This is described as not only "being your brothers keeper" (protecting the weak), but also as staying true to the "negative injunctions against killing and betraying."