In the discussion of these matters, and especially in the general moral denunciation of the Nazi crimes, it is almost always overlooked that the true moral issue did not arise with the behavior of the Nazis but of those who only “coordinated” themselves and did not act out of conviction. It is not too difficult to see and even to understand how someone may decide “to prove a villain” and, given the opportunity, to try out a reversal of the Decalogue, starting with the command: “Thou shalt kill” and ending with a precept: “Thou shalt lie.”

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist

Lecture (1965-02-10), “Some Questions of Moral Philosophy,” Lecture 1, New School for Social Research, New York City
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Collected in Responsibility and Judgment, Part 1 "Responsibility" (2003).