Survey Answers

I would like to answer some of the questions that were posted on the survey.

So far, I've had 6 people look at the survey, answer the 1st question, ... and give up.

Only one person answered all 4 questions, so I'm going to try and answer one of those questions here.

The questions was, "How can neuroscience solve war and violence?"

The topic of violence is for sure an interesting, and complex one. Preventing or reducing violence is something that many people and organizations have attempted to do. While there are a number a psychological studies that have been done on violence, I would like to attempt an answer at the first part of the question, "How can neuroscience solve war?"

When I first read this question, my first reaction was, "this is not a neuroscience question, it's a political one."

Through evolution, humans have acquired very destructive characteristics. One of my psychology professor told us that humans are the most violent species on the planet. We kill for a lot of many different reasons, not just for food. But if you look at most societies today, people don't go about killing someone everyday. More importantly, most people will never kill anyone throughout their whole life. In other words, while we might be genetically inclined toward great violence and destruction, the constructs of society - our education -, is very successful at preventing the expression of such behaviors.

Now, when it comes to war, the problem is not really a genetic/biological problem. It is more of a cultural/environmental problem. Humans are really good at inhibiting a wide range of behaviors if those behaviors are socially unacceptable. These are learned inhibitions. By learned I mean that the inhibitions are learned from our environment. Babies do not hesitate to hit anything or anyone. But as someone grows older, not only at home, but everywhere, they learn that it is "bad" to hit others. In the same way, they learn that it is "really bad" to kill. Hence, most people go through life without ever killing anyone.

But most cultures do not condemn war. Almost every country on the planet has an army. Almost every country on the planet has "war heroes." Many boy stories are about brave and great warriors. Wars are culturally appraised in most countries.

The ironic thing is some parents might be anti-war and teach their children that wars are bad. And then one day, the boy might ask,"who is Napoleon?" And the parents would answer, "Oh, he was a great war hero!!" Instead of,"He was a horrible man who committed many atrocities."

Can you think of any other war general, commander, president who is considered a war "hero?" (I think you can find many).

So, my final words on the topic, for now, are: from a neuroscience perspective, killings, just like wars, are genetically "engrained" behaviors that can be totally inhibited in most people under the right educational and cultural backgrounds, through learning.

As a parallel to some punishments for murder: if you threaten any soldier about to go to war that if they go they are gonna get punished by death, as well as all there family members,... I doubt many would go.