Joseph Meyer on Nostr: nprofile1q…c8msd These are difficult issues to square. Some philosophers and ...
nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnddaehgu3wwp6kyqpqufxqlra3hncy35aassksu2xcp2gg9ukhyzj335zz52wvsrgy6fcscc8msd (nprofile…8msd) These are difficult issues to square. Some philosophers and physicists believe there is no free will, only an illusion of free will. If they are right, then the behavior of capitalists might be considered a result of innate constitution and interactions with environment. In that case, the concept of evil does not apply any more than it applies to the behaviors of those we say have innate psychiatric illnesses. Even within the generally acknowledged domain of psychiatric illnesses, some illnesses (e.g., depression, anxiety) and behaviors associated them are more socially acceptable than others (e.g., paraphilias, personality disorders) with big differences in whether or not our society and justice system considers them immoral (i.e., evil) and deserving punishment. To further complicate matters, some sociologists think of psychiatric illnesses as social constructs or behaviors we have decided are intolerable in our society while other societies might tolerate them. Should antisocial personality disorder not be disqualifying for a political candidate since they might be able to control their impulses, or should it be disqualifying since the diagnosis might lead them to reject the social contract of tolerance for other perspectives that is important to a democracy?
Even discussing these issues offends persons with opposing perspectives for reasons that are exact opposites as illustrated by these two scenarios: (Scenario 1) Some feel stigmatized or discriminated against if they are ostracized by a diagnosis instead of behaviors. They, able to manage their symptoms with medication or therapy, may be inclined to reject the idea that some who share their diagnosis are less able to control their own behaviors. As a result, they think transgressors should be punished so that well behaved persons with the same diagnosis are not stigmatized by what they perceive as evil. (Scenario 2) Others who have a family member in prison due to what they see as untreated or not successfully treated symptoms of psychiatric illness, rather than evil, resent the unwillingness of the stigmatized and our justice system to accept that some persons are unable to fully control behavioral symptoms of a recognized illness. They think such transgressors should be shown mercy and provided with treatment instead of punishment, like those with any other medical condition would be. Ah, but that would mean acknowledging those potentially serious symptoms which is stigmatizing to persons in the first scenario.
Many people want simple answers to complex issues. But human behaviors are complicated and so are the explanations for them. I think most psychiatrists today believe that illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are really a broad spectrum of different illnesses with different symptoms that are lumped into overly large categories only because we do not have the knowledge to better classify them. Acknowledging our limited understanding, I think we should avoid words like evil and their morally loaded meanings. Instead, we need to somehow figure out how we should respond to human behaviors in ways that fairly balance human rights and the interests of society. I don’t think we are very good at doing that yet.
Even discussing these issues offends persons with opposing perspectives for reasons that are exact opposites as illustrated by these two scenarios: (Scenario 1) Some feel stigmatized or discriminated against if they are ostracized by a diagnosis instead of behaviors. They, able to manage their symptoms with medication or therapy, may be inclined to reject the idea that some who share their diagnosis are less able to control their own behaviors. As a result, they think transgressors should be punished so that well behaved persons with the same diagnosis are not stigmatized by what they perceive as evil. (Scenario 2) Others who have a family member in prison due to what they see as untreated or not successfully treated symptoms of psychiatric illness, rather than evil, resent the unwillingness of the stigmatized and our justice system to accept that some persons are unable to fully control behavioral symptoms of a recognized illness. They think such transgressors should be shown mercy and provided with treatment instead of punishment, like those with any other medical condition would be. Ah, but that would mean acknowledging those potentially serious symptoms which is stigmatizing to persons in the first scenario.
Many people want simple answers to complex issues. But human behaviors are complicated and so are the explanations for them. I think most psychiatrists today believe that illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are really a broad spectrum of different illnesses with different symptoms that are lumped into overly large categories only because we do not have the knowledge to better classify them. Acknowledging our limited understanding, I think we should avoid words like evil and their morally loaded meanings. Instead, we need to somehow figure out how we should respond to human behaviors in ways that fairly balance human rights and the interests of society. I don’t think we are very good at doing that yet.