Studies are showing that many sociopaths actually lack the physical mechanism of empathy in the brain. Should sociopaths get off lighter if they're handicapped by a non-empathic brain? :O :P
Yes, but so is everybody! There's no way that guy should get let off! He was perfectly able to function in society and clearly knew right from wrong. In fact he was a super-functioner!
He kept 2 big familys, 2 households, kept a bunch of other apartments, bills, responsiblities, etc. The guy was a full on overachiever. There is no way he qualifies for the insanity defence.
In the future when there is a drug which allows us to experience the brain chemistry/consciousness of another human, it will be hard to punish anybody. We will all have so much understanding and empathy! In the future everyone will need to have a big banner in their homes to remind themselves to do this. It will say:
"You gotta be cruel to be kind!"
They'll also have to have the banner in their vehicles and in the workplace. Being hard and uncaring will be an admired trait. Everyone will be so kind, having experienced life in each others shoes!
The purpose of the criminal justice system should be to decrease the amount of crime in society. I cannot come up with a good explanation of how giving sociopaths a lesser punishment would further those goals. Indeed, according to most ethical theories, a lack of empathy simply means that there was more room for logical thought, and that the punishment should be higher, if nothing else.
With that being said, let me forestall an objection that I'm sure some people will have. It is altogether correct and proper that children are given lesser sentences. One of the major reasons for this is that, while many children have an under-developed sense of ethics, we know from experience that all but a tiny minority will eventually develop one.
As a (reasonably) good analogy, consider the case of a rabid dog in town square. The dog is utterly without conscience or empathy, as the rabies virus has rendered that portion of its brain non-functional, and is consistently trying to lash out and attack the people around it in a lethal manner. Few people would object to someone killing the dog, to increase everyone else's safety.
Is empathy manifested by physical/chemical signals in the brain or is it a learned response to environmental stymulus? On Wikipedia it is stated:
"Research in recent years has focused on possible brain processes as concomitant with empathy (Preston & de Waal, 2002). "
Just as with adaptogenic herbs we do not have enough answers to say how empathy is developed- just that it is; nor can we say how one loses the ability to feel others' emotions.
Playing poker is a good example of people who can sense/feel others' emotions and utilize that knowledge but shut down thier own feelings. The better players can accurately sense at times what his advisaries are thinking and not give away his own position. Does one become a sociopath when they use empathy but do not show or act upon it themselves?
A psychopath has no mechanism to tell right from wrong; a sociopath can tell right from wrong but doesn't care. Both conditions do not preclude having empathy; a child molesting incestuous man could have empathy for the family he locked in a basement- as a psychopath he wouldn't recognize how he created such a twisted situation as long as his needs were served; and as a sociopath he might know how twisted the situation was but did not care. To say it is a chemical response in our brains or lack there of is scientifically pre-mature; and as such anyone who engages in such behaviour should be allowed to be placed with others with similar proclivities- like the nearest jail for the rest of thier lives.
I believe in locking people in jails. I dont' believe in judging them right or wrong. I don't think it is our place. It is my opinion that as a society we shoud say:
"Sorry, we don't understand you. We will not judge you. We cannot say whether you are good or evil. But you are a danger to the rest of us, the masses and therefore we will lock you up and throw away the keys. Please don't take this personally..."
And then maybe...
"Oh and we might just throw in a few kicks while we're at it cuz it's a proven cathartic therapy for the rest of us, the masses... and...again...nothing personal"
(Just kidding bout the last bit.....Don't lynch me!) :-) :-)
:O :P
right from wrong
Not if they know right from wrong. You don't need empathy for that.
Question: Josef Fritzl
So did Josef Fritzl know right from wrong? Was he insane?
Insane?
Yes, but so is everybody! There's no way that guy should get let off! He was perfectly able to function in society and clearly knew right from wrong. In fact he was a super-functioner!
He kept 2 big familys, 2 households, kept a bunch of other apartments, bills, responsiblities, etc. The guy was a full on overachiever. There is no way he qualifies for the insanity defence.
Future drug
In the future when there is a drug which allows us to experience the brain chemistry/consciousness of another human, it will be hard to punish anybody. We will all have so much understanding and empathy! In the future everyone will need to have a big banner in their homes to remind themselves to do this. It will say:
"You gotta be cruel to be kind!"
They'll also have to have the banner in their vehicles and in the workplace. Being hard and uncaring will be an admired trait. Everyone will be so kind, having experienced life in each others shoes!
In the future, everyone will be very bored...
Bored
Reaaaalllly?
I'm bored now....
The purpose of the criminal
The purpose of the criminal justice system should be to decrease the amount of crime in society. I cannot come up with a good explanation of how giving sociopaths a lesser punishment would further those goals. Indeed, according to most ethical theories, a lack of empathy simply means that there was more room for logical thought, and that the punishment should be higher, if nothing else.
With that being said, let me forestall an objection that I'm sure some people will have. It is altogether correct and proper that children are given lesser sentences. One of the major reasons for this is that, while many children have an under-developed sense of ethics, we know from experience that all but a tiny minority will eventually develop one.
As a (reasonably) good analogy, consider the case of a rabid dog in town square. The dog is utterly without conscience or empathy, as the rabies virus has rendered that portion of its brain non-functional, and is consistently trying to lash out and attack the people around it in a lethal manner. Few people would object to someone killing the dog, to increase everyone else's safety.
Empathy as a physical/chemical mechanism
Is empathy manifested by physical/chemical signals in the brain or is it a learned response to environmental stymulus? On Wikipedia it is stated:
"Research in recent years has focused on possible brain processes as concomitant with empathy (Preston & de Waal, 2002). "
Just as with adaptogenic herbs we do not have enough answers to say how empathy is developed- just that it is; nor can we say how one loses the ability to feel others' emotions.
Playing poker is a good example of people who can sense/feel others' emotions and utilize that knowledge but shut down thier own feelings. The better players can accurately sense at times what his advisaries are thinking and not give away his own position. Does one become a sociopath when they use empathy but do not show or act upon it themselves?
A psychopath has no mechanism to tell right from wrong; a sociopath can tell right from wrong but doesn't care. Both conditions do not preclude having empathy; a child molesting incestuous man could have empathy for the family he locked in a basement- as a psychopath he wouldn't recognize how he created such a twisted situation as long as his needs were served; and as a sociopath he might know how twisted the situation was but did not care. To say it is a chemical response in our brains or lack there of is scientifically pre-mature; and as such anyone who engages in such behaviour should be allowed to be placed with others with similar proclivities- like the nearest jail for the rest of thier lives.
Locking people in jails.
I believe in locking people in jails. I dont' believe in judging them right or wrong. I don't think it is our place. It is my opinion that as a society we shoud say:
"Sorry, we don't understand you. We will not judge you. We cannot say whether you are good or evil. But you are a danger to the rest of us, the masses and therefore we will lock you up and throw away the keys. Please don't take this personally..."
And then maybe...
"Oh and we might just throw in a few kicks while we're at it cuz it's a proven cathartic therapy for the rest of us, the masses... and...again...nothing personal"
(Just kidding bout the last bit.....Don't lynch me!) :-) :-)
Psychological test
it would be interesting to test champion poker players for how far they are on the sociopathic scale!