Alan Forrester said:
Likewise, it may be the case that a person with bad thoughts has a
different pattern of links between neurons or that the neurons fire
differently or whatever.

What do we mean by "bad thoughts"? Are these thoughts self conversation
that others disapprove of? If that is the case, it's nothing more than a
moral judgement, and as we know attitudes and morality change with fashion
and culture.
To say that "bad thoughts" are the result of neurons is what Szasz finds
repugnant - it dehumanizes human thought and action. A person has "bad
thoughts" or good thoughts (whatever they are) not brains or neurons.
Martin



>From: Alan Forrester <alan_forrester2@...>
>Reply-To: thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com
>To: thomasszaszdiscussion@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [ThomasSzaszDiscussion] Thinking changes the brain structure?
>Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:33:05 +0000 (GMT)
>
>
>--- ozarkheretic <ozarkheretic@...> wrote:
>
> > Does this idea mean that if a person thinks "bad thoughts", his brain
> > is changed? Does this notion support the idea of "mental illness"?
>
>The only way to change a book containing good ideas into one containing bad
>ideas is to physically change the pattern of ink on its pages so that it
>contains different words. However, a bad book is not a set of typographical
>errors.
>
>Likewise, it may be the case that a person with bad thoughts has a
>different pattern of links between neurons or that the neurons fire
>differently or whatever. But this is not the same as that person having a
>brain illness, anymore than Mein Kampf was just an unfortunate accident
>with a printing press.
>
>Alan
>
>
>
>
>
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