I have developed an unusual view of free will and morality based on my experience with bipolar disorder and my scientific background.
I have had bipolar disorder since my teenage years which has caused me to see the world different than most. Bipolar disorder changes the perception of the world. The world is seen through different eyes with each personality caused by mood swings. . Based on my experience with bipolar, where my personality changed constantly, I seriously questioned the notion of free will.
I am also a scientist which allows me to carefully examine my emotions. I have a PhD in
Biophysics and Biochemistry. My scientific background and experience with bipolar have opened my mind to the issue of free will
You should understand that the brain is influenced by proteins generated as a result of specific genes. There is a protein combination for every mood experienced according to What the Bleep Do We Know!? . There are different protein combinations in the brain for happiness, sadness, irritability, and anger. If you know all the protein interactions in the brain at any given moment, and know all the environmental stimuli that alter protein interactions, then the person's brain, like a computer would react one way or another depending on a particular threshold value. It would seem as if the person made a conscious decision, but in reality it was a brain computation based on environmental stimuli and genetic predisposition. For example, if someone had genes that made him extremely hostile in contrast to another person who did not have these genes, then the former would be more likely to kill. If exposed to a particular situation both would react differently. The reaction could be determined by analyzing amounts and combinations of specific chemicals in the brain at any moment that would cause someone to do one thing or another. So is this free will? It appears as free will, but it is not. So, in this respect, I wonder if anyone on this planet can really define themselves as good or evil. If we were born with different brain chemistries, then we would be different. So, how can people be punished for what they are?
I have had bipolar disorder since my teenage years which has caused me to see the world different than most. Bipolar disorder changes the perception of the world. The world is seen through different eyes with each personality caused by mood swings. . Based on my experience with bipolar, where my personality changed constantly, I seriously questioned the notion of free will.
I am also a scientist which allows me to carefully examine my emotions. I have a PhD in
Biophysics and Biochemistry. My scientific background and experience with bipolar have opened my mind to the issue of free will
You should understand that the brain is influenced by proteins generated as a result of specific genes. There is a protein combination for every mood experienced according to What the Bleep Do We Know!? . There are different protein combinations in the brain for happiness, sadness, irritability, and anger. If you know all the protein interactions in the brain at any given moment, and know all the environmental stimuli that alter protein interactions, then the person's brain, like a computer would react one way or another depending on a particular threshold value. It would seem as if the person made a conscious decision, but in reality it was a brain computation based on environmental stimuli and genetic predisposition. For example, if someone had genes that made him extremely hostile in contrast to another person who did not have these genes, then the former would be more likely to kill. If exposed to a particular situation both would react differently. The reaction could be determined by analyzing amounts and combinations of specific chemicals in the brain at any moment that would cause someone to do one thing or another. So is this free will? It appears as free will, but it is not. So, in this respect, I wonder if anyone on this planet can really define themselves as good or evil. If we were born with different brain chemistries, then we would be different. So, how can people be punished for what they are?
|
|