Galt's Gulch

Science and Morals

Posted by $ blarman 11 years ago to Culture
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So it turns out that there's a legitimate reason to ban porn - it renders people unable to make sound decisions by blocking the rational part of the brain that contributes to values processing.
SOURCE URL: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/02/03/psychologist-reveals-what-watching-porn-does-to-the-brains-ability-to-weigh-morals-and-values-in-decision-making/

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  • Posted by LetsShrug 11 years ago
    Blame the responsible party for lack of self control.....not the vice.
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    • Posted by $ blarman 11 years ago
      One of the things the article brought out was that one can get hooked on it just like illegal drugs because of porn's measured effects on brain activity. I'm not trying to excuse the lack of self-control any more than I would for getting involved with addictive drugs, but I think it is also instructive to note that like addictive drugs, the brain's ability to make rational decisions is greatly degraded once the person begins to participate, making them less likely to stop participating of their own free will.
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  • Posted by Robbie53024 11 years ago
    Which was the argument about X-rated movies, and before that Hustler, and before that Penthouse, and before that Playboy, and before that peep-shows, and before that . . .

    The reality is that people lack self-control. And our societal norms have increasingly accepted less and less self-control as the norm.
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  • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 11 years ago
    Minus one for Spam. The same is true of football. Emotions are integrations of ideas. Porn (and sports) exist within contexts. DIfferent kinds of sexual literature will appeal to different people who have made different choices. It is also true that people who enjoy rock climbing and long distance running generally are not "turned on" by team sports.
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    • Posted by $ blarman 11 years ago
      The scientists discovered a very causal link between porn and its effects on the rational thinking process. I would think that - especially to Objectivists - this would be of import as it affects the rational processing of values and therefore decision-making. They are describing how the brain works in certain specific circumstances. If you choose to ignore it, that is your choice.
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      • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 11 years ago
        Pleasure and pain both affect rational thought. All emotions do that. Emotion is not thinking; it is feeling. That is why we do not make rational decisions on the basis of emotion. That has a double meaning. (1) It is true that one should CHOOSE to ignore emotions in order to make a rational choice. (2) It is true that when we act on the basis of emotion, we do not make a rational choice.

        That being so, nonetheless, emotions do tell you about yourself. You are repulsed by a spider. The spider is not good or evil, but your reaction is appropriate for you. (Unless of course you are irrationally afraid, cringing, running around yelliing...the way people do when they realize that others might enjoy erotica.)
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        • Posted by $ blarman 11 years ago
          I have no idea what this has to do with you flagging the post as "spam". It's a study on how the brain works in a particular situation.

          To me, the key finding was that in this case, one decision (to view porn) was shown to lead to a cascading effect of extremely deleterious result - the serious degradation of the ability to make future decisions. What makes this particularly interesting to me is that all this normally only happens with the introduction of an artificial substance (drugs or alcohol).
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