If I could create any device that affects the brain, I would want to create something that frees people from social pressures. I would assume that the device would affect the amygdala, since it is involved with emotional learning and possibly social context learning. While the machine frees people from social pressures, it would NOT cause individuals to forget moral and ethical rights. They will still retain the knowledge of society's constraints. The only change is how their behavior is subjected to society.
With this machine, I would hope to reveal people's true natures. I am curious to see how much of an individual's personality can be revealed in the complete absence of any social pressure. In essence, they can truly be themselves. This machine will also be useful in getting rid of any sort of social fears like stage fright, public speaking, etc.
Hey Lukang! This is SUCH a cool idea. I think way too many people change their behavior and thus who they are because of social pressures, and with your machine we would be able to see so many more individual personalities, instead of little offshoots of a group mentality. I do think that social pressures can be good in some respect, because I think sometimes they are the only thing keeping certain people from completely going haywire since they already lack certain moral or ethical beliefs. But I would love to see this machine at work on this campus. I think sometimes people come in to Duke all starry-eyed and individualistic and then gradually meld to what they think other people want to see. Not to say there's not plenty of unique people here, quite the opposite actually. I just think we could see even more of it if we used your machine :)
ReplyDeleteThis idea brings up a good question regarding the construction of identity: to what extent is the self composed of truly internal motivations and volitions rather than social pressures? Would a person act like anything we even consider close to human in the absence of feeling like they have to conform to social pressures, positive or otherwise? Presumably, one could conduct an experiment to this effect by installing this machine in infants, though the ethics of this would certainly be questionable. It would be an open question, I think, as to whether a person implanted with this device from an early age would develop properly. In any case, it would be interesting to compare the results from this hypothetical infant group to another group implanted with the device after having been affected by social pressures. Very nice food for thought.
ReplyDeleteGreat questions Josh! And I am wondering if it would be possible to dissociate morality/ethics from social pressures...
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