[ExI] Implications of Sociopath Testing

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2008/8/25 Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com>:

>> [Should] someone who could be demonstrated to be sociopathic despite an
>> ability to hide it should be treated differently by the law than his
>> non-sociopathic counterpart[?].  But if he were really good at hiding his
>> sociopathy he would not be any more likely to commit a crime than
>> anyone else.
>
> Isn't this quite false?  For, unlike the people who have real
> consciences, the sociopath will break the law, or lie and
> cheat with abandon when there is no fear of being caught.

But it's the little things that will give him away. If he really
wanted to hide he would only be able to indulge in sociopathic
behaviour when he was *guaranteed* of not being caught. Perhaps many
non-sociopaths would also indulge in such behaviour if they had a
guarantee of impunity: the pangs of guilt would eventually go away, as
in systematic desensitisation therapy for anxiety disorders. Is it
possible that (again by analogy with zombie arguments) to behave just
as if you have or haven't a conscience is the same as actually having
or not having a conscience?




-- 
Stathis Papaioannou