Psychopaths Dark Secret

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Can psychopaths ever be held responsible for the choices they make? The article “A Neurologist Uncovers a Dark Secret” discusses the possibility of a biological or neurological cause for psychopathic behavior. Tying the discussion to this article, we will consider D’Holbach’s, Sartre’s, and Hospers’ views on responsibility for our actions. What does the term psychopath mean? It is a word used interchangeable with sociopath to describe individuals who exhibit criminal, perverted, or immoral behavior. Conventional definitions of psychopaths are individuals “afflicted with a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to commit antisocial and sometimes violent acts and a failure to feel guilt for such acts” (Dictionary.com) or individuals…show more content…
A person is not morally responsible for his action if it is “the result of unconscious forces” or “drive” of which the person knows nothing (Hospers, pgs 115,119). Hospers goes on to explain that a “lucky few are sometimes able to overcome” such forces (Hospers, pg. 120). These arguments apply to James Fallon’s circumstances. By his own admission, Fallon credits positive parental involvement for shaping his character therefore inhibiting further development of the “unconscious forces” of heredity from manifesting. The debate on free will and moral responsibility is one that seems to have no singular answer. Research by neuroscientists like James Fallon may finally render a definitive answer to this question or further fuel the flame. John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty discusses the limits of governmental interference in the lives of individuals. Mill wrote what is known as the Harm Principle: “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others” (Mill, pg…show more content…
358). In On Liberty, he argues, “the struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar” (Mill, pg 352). In the past people required “protection against the tyranny of the political rulers” (Mill, pg 352), but in current times power has been shifted into the hands of the citizens through a democratic form of government presenting a new issue, the tyranny of the majority. Democracy allows control of the minority if you can gain control of the majority. In the minds of many people the government’s attempts in recent years to reform education in the United States is viewed as a calculated move toward creation of easily influenced individuals that are useful to the government not necessarily encouraging independent and innovative thinkers. For this reason, some feel that a separation of state and school, much like church and state, would be appropriate. They feel government interference will do more harm than good for the students and families of the United
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