[Avodah] Interesting article in weekly Hamodia

[Samuel Svarc]

>From: "Micha Berger" <micha at aishdas.org>
>Subject: Re: [Avodah] [Areivim] Interesting article in weekly Hamodia
>
>On Thu, April 19, 2007 4:29 am, R Samuel Svarc wrote to Areivim:
>: In this weeks Hamodia, Section E, first page, there is an interesting
>: article titled, "His Brain Made Him Do It". Some excerpts follow.
>
>: "The American legal system may never be the same again, if breakthroughs
>: in neuroscience continue to gain acceptance in court. Recent advances in
>: the study of the human brain indicate that malformations or damage to
parts
>: of the brain can account for violent behavior beyond the control of the
>: perpetrator. Criminal behavior that was once blamed on social conditions
>: or parental abuse are now being blamed on the brain."
>
>: And this tragically apropos one, "In 1966 at the University of Texas,
>: Charles Whitman went on a murderous rampage, killing 15 people before
>: being shot down by police officers. Whitman was discovered after an
autopsy to
>: have a tumor that was putting pressure on his amygdala."
>
>I have a blog entry at <http://tinyurl.com/yxwr7h> which deals with the
>neshamah-brain question in a way that IMHO resolves such questions.

I would be remiss if I didn't note that the article brings other viewpoints
as well. Such as this one, " "Even if his amygdala made him more angry and
volatile, since when are anger and volatility excusing conditions?" Morse
asks. "Some people are angry because they had bad mommies and daddies, and
others because their amygdales are mucked up. The question is, when should
anger be an excusing condition?" "

>Beqitzur, as a teaser to get you to chase the link:

Some of us can't chase the link, your truly amongst those, the one who
posted the original article. For purpose of conversation, you might want to
post the entry or condensed version.

KT,
MSS