When the Homily is about Immunology

Blessed are those whose dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is highly functioning

Another study that takes a swing with the bat of biological determinism - and another reporter who is all too anxious to draw an uber dramatic conclusion. As is my custom, I shall be critical of such socio/psycho studies - especially when performed in this way.

In essence they have taken the human being and introduced him/her into what amounts to little more than a high school level chemistry experiment - like mixing two ingredients to see how they will react. Unfortunately, the human being is an incredibly complex organism and thus if you tell them they are involved in an experiment you have already added a stumbling block to your findings. Further, if you tell them they are playing a game...well same thing. I mean, were they REALLY measuring the extent of the participant's perceived needs playing a role in their decision making by playing with a mere $20.00? There are far too many complexities going on here - I believe - to make any grand conclusion...and they offer no explanation on how the electrical current "turns off" a portion of the brain, but since I do not know I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

But even then, with their DLPFC "turned off" they only went from 10 to 45% of the participant's being willing to take an unfair deal. What of the other half? How do we know that the shock wasn't just enough of an experience to just generally change one's disposition? Maybe they were irritated by the experience and found themselves no longer caring about $20.00? I could go on and on and on...when it comes to human beings the variables are so extensive that I always default to skepticism about these conclusions.

But like so many issues today we seem to really be pushing for a biological explanation for all things. Turning us into chemistry, and nothing more. In reality your love for your spouse or your children is, in essence, no different than the chemistry involved when sugar is used to make water taste sweet. Now I'm a smart enough person to realize that chemistry is big part of our bodies, but we cannot be the sum total of our biological substance.

I once wrote a short story in which a depressed scientist calculates his fiscal worth by calculating the weight of the different chemicals of which he is made. Having done so, he is then found trying to discern which method would make the most economical sense in ending his life. Not a happy thought, I know. But when love is reduced to chemistry...well...that's not a happy thought either.

We are more than the collective worth of our molecular weight.