Submitted by Paul Grobstein on Wed, 03/12/2008 - 9:21am.
Interesting set of issues. The DSM does indeed seem to confuse "sociopathy" and "psychopathy". Should they be distinguished? If Emily Dickinson is right, and brain = behavior, then indeed "everything stems from organic origins, and ... morality and empathy are physical processes of the brain". And so might be different in different brains. So what follows from that? Of what use is it to have "physical proof" of differences? What happens to the distinction between "biological and environmental factors"? What are the implications for "treatment"? For either sociopaths or psychopaths, can one really imagine "a way to fully integrate them into mainstream society"?
sociopathy and psychopathy
Interesting set of issues. The DSM does indeed seem to confuse "sociopathy" and "psychopathy". Should they be distinguished? If Emily Dickinson is right, and brain = behavior, then indeed "everything stems from organic origins, and ... morality and empathy are physical processes of the brain". And so might be different in different brains. So what follows from that? Of what use is it to have "physical proof" of differences? What happens to the distinction between "biological and environmental factors"? What are the implications for "treatment"? For either sociopaths or psychopaths, can one really imagine "a way to fully integrate them into mainstream society"?
See also