Re: Epistemology 201: The Science of Science

From: aeo6 (aeo6_at_cornell.edu)
Date: 03/14/05 

Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:09:28 -0500

robert j. kolker said:
>
>
> Allan C Cybulskie wrote:
>
> >
> > But your view ignores the fact that many mental "problems" are the result of
> > mental causes.
>
> What is a mental cause? Is there a descernable mental organ in the human
> body besides brains, glands and nerves? Point us to the locus of the
> cause. What are its parts. What are its laws of operation. What does it
> weigh? Where is it located in the spacetime continuum?
What is the cause of depression? Is it a lack of serotonin, or does serotonin
reflect a psychological state of the environment. When babies do not receive
the attention and love they need, especially in the beginning, they are far
more likely to suffer depression later in life, if not throughout childhood.
This effect of love deprivation is what Allan means by a "mental cause". As
another example, when a child is abused physically, they often grow up abusing
their own children or spouses, or dogs, and it's not because of physical
damage. Pedophiles are almost always childhood sexual abuse victims.

Do you put love, or emotional healing, or a cure for self-hatred in a pill? Are
these physical ailments? Bob, if you get honest with yourself, you will see
you're in some sort of denial of half the universe.
>
>
> > Would you argue that if someone felt grief or depression at
> > the death of a loved one, that the cure would be to pump them full of drugs
> > to relieve the feelings? What do drugs or surgery do for someone who is
> > depressed because, in their opinion, their life is utterly useless and
> > pointless? To mask these problems with drugs is to do nothing more than
> > mask the problems, not fix them in any way.
>
> It makes them feel better. Next question?
It makes them feel better but doesn't address the underlying cause. I have been
through this with myself and friends that had to address social issues in their
past to get past feelings of worthlessness, anger, confusion, etc. As far as
antidepressants go, they are good for dealing with crisis periods where someone
is suicidal or totally non-functional, but as long term treatments, backfire.
More and more they find INCREASED suicide among users of antidepressants.
> >
> > When the physical therapy works is when either it is strictly a physical
> > problem or when the mental problems have caused such a huge emotional issue
> > that there is no way the person can relieve their mental problems without
> > diminishing the physical factors. As a general cure, it works perfectly
> > badly.
> >
> > BTW, your basic claim is that we should use what works. Folk psychology
> > supports the non-material ideas and works really, really well in a lot of
> > cases.
>
> Shall we bring in the Faith-Healers too?
Yes, we shall, if you insist. There are mental maladies that years of therapy
won't penetrate, that no amount of drugs will resolve, because the roots are so
traumatic that they have been twisted, not according to physcial law, but
mental and emotional law, so as to be isolated from the rest of the mental
landscape and inaccessible due to the pain they cause. There are cases in both
traditional medicine and modern psychology, where an exorcism approach seems to
be the way of choice to achieve mental health. Is it really magic? Are there
spirits possessing someone? it depends what you mean by spirits. Is it a
physical treatment? Not by your definition. But then, what is it?
>
> Bob Kolker
>
> >
> >
> 

-- 
Smiles,
Tony

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