2
Sean A. Spence wrote an article in the Journal of British Psychiatry, about whether we should use drugs to make people behave ethically. Among other points, the paper gives a few examples of ways that drugs are already being used to make people behave ethically.
There are drugs that make you happy, drugs that help you pay attention, and even drugs that make you smarter. What about drugs that increase empathy? There are many potential applications for such a drug.
These drugs might be able to help sociopaths, who have no ability, or a significantly lessened ability to sympathize with other human beings. It could “cure” a sociopath in the same way that an anti-depressant can cure someone with clinical depression.
What if an entire group of people artificially upped their empathy? Would this group of people be happier or sadder, more productive or less productive?
I’m not even willing to guess. This is an area where much more research needs to be conducted. Vast amounts of money are spent on both promoting behavior enhancing drugs, and studying the effects of these drugs on individuals. But, little is being done to research the effects of wide use on a population
The current trend is towards it being okay for everyone to use drugs that “improve” behavior. Is this trend for better or worse?
2 Comments to 'Drugs that Make You Ethical?'
Hey there, Mr. J. I’m back once again from the dead. How have you been?
Now onto the topic at hand….
I can’t say if that is a trend for better or worse. My take on that issue is biased, somewhat, since I have taken Effexor XR in the past for my depression and anxiety disorder. It leveled off my moods while I was on it. Which was good.
When I was taken off Effexor, recently, in order to start taking Pristiq (a new anti-depressant), I suffered horrendous withdrawls. Like severe dizziness. I couldn’t think, walk or talk properly. It was a nightmare for a long time.
By the way, my depression has contributed to my recent departure in regards to posting on my blog. But that’s another story.
One of my questions, pertaining to mass drug consumption, would certainly be…. What if the population were being administered (secretly or not) a certain mood enhancing drug and then were suddenly cut off? What would be the outcome if that were to happen? Any ideas?
m.a.p.September 23, 2008
Some people do believe that most of the general population, at least in the U.S. , is already being administered at least one drug. And that drug is fluoride. While not a very strong drug in comparison to lets say anti-depressants, fluoride has been proven to have simular effects on the brain. Please correct me if I had my facts wrong there. 
It’s a big possibility, although fluoride definitely effects other things besides our teeth.
Although I wouldn’t go so strong as something like this;
“….When I think of fluoridation, two words come to mind: medical experiment. And the guinea pig is Y-O-U. That’s right: Without any solid proof that ingesting fluoride was beneficial for your teeth…I’ve long been one of America’s most popular mythbusters. I make it my mission to reveal the surprisingly inexpensive and easy road to real health…I’ve been called “the conscience of modern medicine…” http://www.douglassreport.com/reports/fluoride.html gclid=CMuVk_yZ8pUCFQL8iAodeQ5yfg
Obviously, that person just wants attention. Fluoride does have proven effects on teeth. Worth the trade off? A possible win win for the government…
“Fluoridation, in reference to adding traces of fluorine to drinking water as a public health policy, dates from 1949.” -Online Etymology Dictionary,www.etymonline.com
As far as fluoride is concern, I don’t think there would be much of an outcome if any noticeable one at all. But I don’t have enough of a background then to really present any facts other then ones I’ve read. I think it’s surprising, although maybe it shouldn’t be, that their is stuff in our water. It effects us already, even if it’s hardly recognizable.
If we were to be cut off from some drug we didn’t know about, we wouldn’t be revolting for more, because we didn’t know what it was that was making us that way in the first place. No connection between blue water and happiness to us, because we were never given enough information to make the relation between the two. Everyone would just get sick, and\or angry. The doctors would call it an epidemic, the government would give them “flu shots” to help the general population effected by the lack of chemicals…
A possible scenario of many that comes to mind for me.
Back to top