A hypothetical question

[inocente]

Selectively suppressed. Just like in confining violent people to prisons.

As in trepanning is just like taking an aspirin.

*I had two surprises in this thread. One was a pleasant surprise, the number “YES” votes. I did not hope for such a good turnout. The other one was discouraging - well, not really. The naysayers systematically changed the parameters, none of the arguments were presented against the hypothetical scenario, all of them were considering the “abuse” of the procedure - intentional or otherwise. Changing the goalposts is the usual expression.

This is sad, but not unexpected. Controversial thought experiments are always treated thusly. The criticism is presented in the form: “but it can be abused…” I wonder what the results would have been, if the responders would have honestly contemplated the actual scenario, as presented. *

I didn’t see it as controversial, just plain wrong .

Try out your idea on a humanist civil liberties forum. I predict you’ll get an even bigger negative response.

 

[tonyrey]

If anyone ever does come up with cure for these things I want the patent!

There is a cure already, the best there is: a combination of prayer and love - which is far more effective than human remedies (and rejected by cynics and sceptics).

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Indeed. Modern medicine treats the whole person not just physical symptoms. I knew one man who died because he was convinced he had stomach cancer yet a post mortem revealed no abnormality.

Yes, cancer is a strange illness, as is ALS and other deadly conditions. Of course, everyone is going to die of something, but as for non-age related diseases, modern medicine not very successful. There is a spiritual dimension to people getting sick especially mental illness.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

There is a cure already, the best there is: a combination of prayer and love - which is far more effective than human remedies (and rejected by cynics and sceptics).

 

[minkymurph]

There is a cure already, the best there is: a combination of prayer and love - which is far more effective than human remedies (and rejected by cynics and sceptics).

True - but I don’t have the patent.

It’s also difficult to ‘sell’ - impeded by as you say cynicism and skepticism.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

As in trepanning is just like taking an aspirin.

I didn’t see it as controversial, just plain wrong .

Try out your idea on a humanist civil liberties forum. I predict you’ll get an even bigger negative response.

Yes Vera would have made a great lobotomy doctor in the 1940’s. When they didn’t like the way the people in the mental institutions were acting, they simply scrambled that part of the brain surgically.

Or China today.

 

[peter26]

In theory it sounds good. But as the government would be the one to administer it, it wouldn’t be!