3 ms·
While I'm in agreement with everything you've said, I'd like to try and play devil's advocate: You could expand this to say that not wearing a seat-belt should
by placebo 10y ago
While I'm in agreement with everything you've said, I'd like to try and play devil's advocate:
You could expand this to say that not wearing a seat-belt should be made legal or that all drugs should be made legal or many other things where informed consent should be made legal. The problem is that not only many people are less responsible or intelligent than you might be, their irresponsibility can lead to harming other people. Suppose the effects of a person experimenting on themselves might cause some temporary loss of focus or control as a direct result and this would happen while they were driving or operating heavy machinery etc. There is a certain balance between personal freedom and laws that limit it, and sometimes this balance is not in favor of a minority that don't need the law, but it has to apply to all.
Again, I don't agree with the above argument - just think one should be ready for it when it is given.
- thaw13579 10y agoA related possibility is tDCS being applied to children, in hopes to improving their performance in school. Doesn't seem too far-fetched given that articles like this are circulating: http://kuow.org/post/electricity-could-boost-your-kids-brainpower http://kuow.org/post/electricity-could-boost-your-kids-brain...
- woah 10y agoNot wearing a seatbelt SHOULD be legal, as well as all drugs. What should not be legal is allowing your children to not wear seat belts, or allowing them to do drugs. Also, doing drubs while driving obviously endangers others.
- Houshalter 10y agoNot wearing a seatbelt is legal in many places, or at least not enforced. And enforcing brain zapping would be even harder, because people do it in the privacy of their own homes. But the argument isn't about legality. It's whether scientists should work with these people. They are going to brain zap anyway. The scientists have nothing to lose by collecting their data. They could also give helpful warnings and information to limit the harm. But above all don't call them idiots for trying this. There are desperate people with serious conditions that are willing to take a small risk for anything that might help their condition. The medical system is very slow, conservative, and risk averse, in adopting new treatments. So people that want better treatments are forced to take it into their own hands. If doctors offered this treatment today, this wouldn't be an issue.
- placebo 10y agoJust in case I was misunderstood, I'm definitely not calling them idiots for doing this. This generalization is part of why I oppose the argument.