I realize I’m arriving late to this thread but it’s such a fascinating discussion, with so many ideas (it’s taken a week just to read through) that I’d like to add my own thoughts also.
So far there have been many ideas put forward about what might need to be considered if a group of people were to go about creating a new world from scratch with the aim of building it in a way that aligned it more with sto principles.
It also seems from the discussion that the question of how to deal with psychopaths has been identified as one of the most important tasks especially initially, if the group is to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. So I’d like to address this issue.
Quote from: Laura on November 19, 2009, 03:36:33 AM
So far, I think Smaragde's solution is the best: education and exclusion/control by refusing the manipulations of the psychopath and making it possible that they could be bred out of existence. Of course, that doesn't mean that a new batch won't come along, mutating out of the human gene pool. And how to really breed them out of existence by refusal to mate with them if their genes are scattered all through the human population?
Very tricky issue.
Possible combined solution:
1) Put the violent ones in a high security facility for the rest of their lives. Doesn't seem to be any other solution that is humane.
2) Non-violent, but emotionally destructive: if they can do jobs that their natures' support, fine, but only with everyone knowing their nature and constantly networking so that they can't create problems.
3) I can't see manipulating their brains electronically - sets a bad precedent - and they really aren't to blame for being born the way they are, so no need to take vengeance on them.
4) All of them probably ought to be "neutered." One could imagine that if they DID have what they don't have genetically - conscience - they would opt to not pass on their genes, so helping them by lending them some conscience isn't such a bad idea, IMO.
I’m not entirely sure about the neutering idea, but perhaps that’s because I associate it primarily with Eugenics approaches that appear very pathological to me. I definitely agree that exclusion in one form or another is the only way to go with psychopaths however.
Quote from: Laura on November 19, 2009, 11:41:13 AM
The thing is, there are actually a lot of people who are not psychopathological who ought to give up ideas of reproducing at all, particularly if they carry genes for certain defects that cause suffering. The only exceptions I can think of is if those genetics also often come with other heightened abilities that are valuable to society. Additionally, populations ought to be controlled, preferably by the personal choice of the individuals who make up the group and not imposed from "above." A person ought to look at themselves and their partner realistically, have good knowledge of their genetics, good counseling, consider their society, and make intelligent decisions about whether or not to have a child. Remember, it was the Fascist god who said "be fruitful and multiply..." and he was talking to his psychopathic followers. They have only been interested in producing more cannon fodder.
I would also like to add that, given the distribution of psychopathy through the gene pool and the possibility of it popping up unexpectedly in future generations and the difficulties of identifying it, perhaps efforts to control population and reduce the spread of psychopathy could also include some kind of mentoring/guidance and careful supervision of individual’s decisions to marry and have children, perhaps by elders of the community.
For example people might be encouraged to seek the blessing/approval of elders before entering into intimate relationships, or perhaps be required to engage in training or mentoring before having children, that way if more experienced members of the community with greater discernment had noticed any cause for concern potential problems could be addressed early.
I’m thinking here of the way that not only psychopaths but the STS hierarchy generally, through pathological or unaware people, seems to use intimate relationships as a primary vehicle for feeding off victims and the difficulty most people have with assessing situations clearly when they become romantically attached to people and their endorphins and other chemicals kick in.
I’m also wondering whether it might be important to consider putting processes in place that facilitate ways the community as a whole can educate and prepare prospective couples and parents before they decide to take on these responsibilities.
For example the traditional culture of the Yolgu Aboriginal people of Arnhem land Australia includes a practice whereby the same sex in-laws of a prospect bride and groom take on certain responsibilities for guiding and teaching their prospective son or daughter in law, long before they are married. Perhaps many other Indigenous groups also have traditional customs designed to guide and prepare people for these things, I’m not an expert and I’m not really sure myself. My point is that perhaps social practices could also be utilised alongside exclusion of identified psychopaths and or more technological methods such as sterilisation to manage and control the incidence of psychopathy in the population. This would also obviously have the added benefit of encouraging responsible decisions and helping control population size without forcing or controlling in an authoritarian way, osit but perhaps my thinking is being a little skewed by my dislike of the neutering idea, I’m not sure?
