Interesting News

[crackityjones]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/07/28/brain.tumor.pedophile.ap/index.html

I don't know what to make of this...if it's true that the ability of a person to control his or her actions is linked directly to the health of the brain, it would question existing notions of free will and sanity

[crackityjones]

Oops, wrong forum...

Could somebody move this to OT?

[stoopid]

Originally posted by crackityjones
,,,it would question existing notions of free will and sanity

Not really, if the rapist/pedophile/whatever doesn't have a brain tumor, then what? We already KNOW that sort of behavior, as exhibited in these violent offenders, is a form of mental illness... this guy's issues just happen to stem from a brain tumor.

[crackityjones]

Originally posted by stoopid


Not really, if the rapist/pedophile/whatever doesn't have a brain tumor, then what? We already KNOW that sort of behavior, as exhibited in these violent offenders, is a form of mental illness... this guy's issues just happen to stem from a brain tumor.

...which would question existing notions of free will and sanity...

Because it means that physical conditions could cause brain disorders

[stoopid]

Originally posted by crackityjones
Because it means that physical conditions could cause brain disorders

That's already taken into consideration, but it usually isn't used as evidence of 'reform'. May only help explain behavior that will still be consider insane by law, and only help the perpetrator after the fact, maybe lessening the time they receive treatment for said insanity.

Guess I wasn't thrilled by the news, as many forms of psychosis can stem from physical or childhood truamas... pre-existing conditions that eventually are linked to something other than 'just being crazy'. All forms of insanity have a cause, be it chemical or conditional.