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Tookie, Choice and Self Understanding

CarlCarl
edited December 2005 in Core Issues of Human Nature
Thank you Buddy. Haha...

Comments

  • CarlCarl
    edited December 1969
    I suspect a belief in 'free will - choice - ' prevents us from delving too deeply emotionally, or intellectually, into any viewpoint which threatens that belief. The mind's eye simply 'shuts'. This process impacts our ability to see things as they are, i.e., be self honest. Simply put, can we choose to be self honest, or does our belief in choice hinder such self understanding? A recent experience of mine points to the latter...

    My mother asked me what I thought about Tookie William's case. The first thing that came to my mind is how vastly different civilization is from hunter gatherer [chref=51]circumstances[/chref]. A person with the same genetic makeup as Tookie raised in a hunter-gatherer environment would turn out far different. Obviously, to me anyway, it is not Tookie's 'fault', but the circumstances of civilization which, along with his genetic makeup, resulted in his asocial behavior. My mother would have none of that. "He alone is responsible for his actions", said she.

    I suppose any suggestion that civilization is somehow responsible makes us feel uncomfortable - even personally culpable (subconsciously anyway). After all, we all participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, civilization. But truly, we are all [chref=39]hapless[/chref] 'victims' of civilization. None of us currently living created it, or chose to be raised within it. However, judging by people's reactions, my mother's and other's, this view is untenable when one believes in 'free will'. Clearly, belief predicts and proscribes understanding, self and otherwise. No wonder it is wiser to be [chref=15]hesitant and tentative, as if fording a river in winter[/chref]!
  • Little DragonLittle Dragon
    edited December 1969
    If what we do is the result of our genetic makeup interacting with our current civilization then punishing someone for their actions is redundant. Ditto the death penalty.
  • TopherTopher
    edited December 1969
    [cite] Carl:[/cite]A person with the same genetic makeup as Tookie raised in a hunter-gatherer environment would turn out far different. Obviously, to me anyway, it is not Tookie's 'fault', but the circumstances of civilization which, along with his genetic makeup, resulted in his asocial behavior.

    I have a hard time paying for institutions that house and feed killers while the homeless are out on the street.

    Killing people for killing is like hitting a child to punish him for hitting. Something seems out of wack there.

    Frankly, if I were Tookie, I' would have asked to be put to death rather than sit in prison knowing there was no chance of getting out. The fact that he valued his own life so much and the lives of his victims so little leaves me cold.

    It would be hard to kill to defend my own life; easy to kill to defend the lives of my family.
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