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Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden
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"As science unveils more about the workings of the human mind" this is the most problematic thing you have said. Science and supporters of science are often blind to its limitations (namely its inability to function ethically ie. eugenics, the atom bomb and chemical warfare) . By defining the human mind, the human is normalized and limited in what they can be. This is problematic because the human mind is undefinable. I would suggest that each human experience is untranslatable. An outcome of this is claiming that the mind should work a certain way, this can be dangerous. Alberta, for example, has a long history of forced sterilization as a result of normalizing brain function. In short, science can not unveil the workings of the mind.
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Fears of the immoral application of science shouldn't deter us from studying the connections between evolution, biology, and behaviour, any more than fears of nuclear war should deter us from studying physics. Science can reveal all sorts of things about our natures, some of it troubling or unpleasant. To shy away from it is to deny ourselves a vital tool in improving our lives.
"The case against bigotry is not a factual claim that humans are biologically indistinguishable. It is a moral stance that condemns judging an individual according to the average traits of certain groups to which the individual belongs." ~ Steven Pinker
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter12
It is good to pay particular attention to the metaphors that science is required to use in order to explain something as complicated as the brain/mind.
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We will probably never be able to fully understand the workings of the human mind, and draw direct cause-effect maps of physical stimuli to all behaviours. It's just too complicated, and our tools will always be limited.
However, the notion of the ghost in the machine - that the mind is distinct from the physical organ of the brain - is at this point an ideological assertion, and not supported by science.
And while I'm quoting Pinker, here's as good a defence of liberalism as any I've come across:
"We are all members of the same flawed species. Putting our moral vision into practice means imposing our will on others. The human lust for power and esteem, coupled with its vulnerability to self-deception and self-righteousness, makes that an invitation to a calamity, all the worse when the power is directed at a goal as quixotic as eradicating human self-interest.”