As I read the Pinker article I was rather shocked that he seemed to turn purely to neuroscience as the answer to why we are the way we are. One of his major points in response to this question was that the environment has a minimal impact on the way we, humans, turn out to be. He then tried to support this argument with a bunch of neuroscience jargon that was way over my head.
While I read on, I started to think to myself, "Do I agree with him?." The short answer is NO. The reason for this being that several examples of friends and family came to mind in which I could tell that the environment had a significant impact on the way that individual turned out to be. My friends who hung out with the "wrong crowd" changed their lifestyle to accommodate the drinking and partying. My family grew up around water and there is no doubt that we all love water sports now. Essentially I agree with Lewontin who argues that the environment does have a major influence on why we are the way we are.
Relating this all to Apotemnophilia, I believe that it manifests in both biological and environmental aspects. I don't think someone is completely born with it, but that the environment has an influence on whether or not they end up getting it. In essence, I believe that both influences must be present in order for someone to end up with this.
Now for the moral/ethical part. Being raised in a religious family, I believe that God put us on this earth the way we are for a reason. I believe that by cutting off healthy limbs, we aren't living for God, rather we're living for ourselves. To remove a limb because it "doesn't feel right" is immoral and selfish.
To conclude, I don't think that I was born with the idea that removing ones limb is immoral and selfish. In fact, I believe that the environment I was raised in has shaped me with the morals I now have which led me to the belief that removing ones limbs consciously is immoral and selfish. Hopefully you can see why I disagree with Pinker's argument about the influence of environment!
I understand your viewpoint. All though I have some questions regarding the way God created us the way we are for a reason.
ReplyDeleteIs it immoral to get a tatoo or plastic surgery? Even plastic surgery after a severe car accident?
Is it immoral to be an organ donor? Alive or not? That is removing part of one's body. So if your partner needed a kidney, would it be immoral to give him/her yours? Is it immoral to be cremated at death?
The reason I am asking this is because I believe that our bodies are vessels for our souls. My last question is: does removing your leg damage your soul?
I'm not trying to start an argument or anything of that sort, but while I was reading this post and got to your point about God ("God put us on this earth the way we are for a reason. I believe that by cutting off healthy limbs, we aren't living for God, rather we're living for ourselves."), I was wondering: isn't it possible that maybe God made apotemnophiliacs the way they are for a reason?
ReplyDeleteI'm just kind of throwing that out there... to be honest, I have no idea, was just wondering what you thought. I guess one could say that it is environmental and therefore not "natural". in which case I would also consider what the comment above me asks.