Psychopathy the Dependence on Science to Precisely

Psychopathy

The dependence on science to precisely label and indentify processes and facts can cause some problems within this discipline. Psychopathology, usually identified as a psychological disorder, has seen attempts to place this phenomena in a biological framework. The purpose of this essay is to discuss whether or not psychopaths are more likely to exhibit criminal behavior and what factors may contribute to such behavior. This essay will also discuss the implications of the biological and psychological contributions to this term.

Moskowitz (2011) recently reveals some results of some interesting experiments. She revealed that "overall, these studies and many more like them paint a picture of significant biological differences between people who commit serious crimes and people who do not. While not all people with antisocial personality disorder -- or even all psychopaths -- end up breaking the law, and not all criminals meet the criteria for these disorders, there is a marked correlation." This is a very serious and deep implication when considering what this means to society.

If psychopaths and other psychological disorders occur due to biological, or pre-determined genetic factors, the ethical question of eliminating these factors arises as a result. If people are born with a disposition to anti-social behavior, what exactly can be done about it? Should anything be done about it? This approach is borderline prophecy and denotes a powerful move by science to eliminate randomness within the confines of society.

Craig (2009) revealed some important information about this discussion. He wrote "the degree of abnormality was significantly related to the degree of psychopathy. These results suggest that psychopaths have biological differences in the brain which may help to explain their offending behaviors." Offending behavior however is a relative and moving standard throughout society. What may be accepted in one community can be viewed as unethical in another amongst our society today. This is where a problem of science being use to control society and personal thought and expression. Offending behavior is not something that can be completely objectified, making this argument weak and logically flawed.