5 ms·

We should also ask the question: why do people need penicillin, anesthetics, and disinfectant so much today, when past generations did fine without them?

chris_wot 3y ago
In other words, the question is fallacious as the premise underlying it is false.
- vouaobrasil 3y ago
  I think it is more likely that people are emotional about the question and thus shut down to exploring it intellectually.
  - philderbeast 3y ago
    The intellectual exploration is understanding that we have a better understanding of medicine, and ADHD is just like other conditions we can now treat. but sure, lets ignore over a century of research and progress because someone wants to ask "what if" and treat all that as an emotional response.
    - vouaobrasil 3y ago
      Meh, medical research in terms of psychology (disorders) is largely based on how well a person functions in modern society, which is sick. Since the OP asked the question in terms of sociology/evolution, it makes sense that the medical literature would not say much about it.
  - chris_wot 3y ago
    No, the question is based on an unevaluated premise.
- pgreenwood 3y ago
  Indeed :)
vouaobrasil 3y ago
For antibiotics, it is at least partly due to the psychology of numbers. If you live in a village of 1000 and 1 person dies every year, then it's doing pretty well. But on a planet of 8 billion, 8 million people dying without penicillin sounds like a tragedy... Individual people who need penicillin are doing better today, but as a whole past generations did as well as today, at least in the fact that they survived and produced us. In other words, we are doing BETTER when it comes to average individual comfort but the same in terms of surviving.
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  > but as a whole past generations did as well as today, As a “whole”, how did past generations do with maternal/infant/toddler/child mortality and morbidity? Was that “as well” as today?
  - vouaobrasil 3y ago
    It depends on how you measure "well". In terms of evolution and survivorship of genes, we did perfectly well. In terms of average well-being, of course we are better today.
    - lotsofpulp 3y ago
      I would classify a species developing cures for illnesses as evolving.

chris_wot 3y ago

In other words, the question is fallacious as the premise underlying it is false.

vouaobrasil 3y ago
I think it is more likely that people are emotional about the question and thus shut down to exploring it intellectually.
- philderbeast 3y ago
  The intellectual exploration is understanding that we have a better understanding of medicine, and ADHD is just like other conditions we can now treat. but sure, lets ignore over a century of research and progress because someone wants to ask "what if" and treat all that as an emotional response.
  - vouaobrasil 3y ago
    Meh, medical research in terms of psychology (disorders) is largely based on how well a person functions in modern society, which is sick. Since the OP asked the question in terms of sociology/evolution, it makes sense that the medical literature would not say much about it.
- chris_wot 3y ago
  No, the question is based on an unevaluated premise.
pgreenwood 3y ago
Indeed :)

vouaobrasil 3y ago

For antibiotics, it is at least partly due to the psychology of numbers. If you live in a village of 1000 and 1 person dies every year, then it's doing pretty well. But on a planet of 8 billion, 8 million people dying without penicillin sounds like a tragedy... Individual people who need penicillin are doing better today, but as a whole past generations did as well as today, at least in the fact that they survived and produced us. In other words, we are doing BETTER when it comes to average individual comfort but the same in terms of surviving.

lotsofpulp 3y ago
> but as a whole past generations did as well as today, As a “whole”, how did past generations do with maternal/infant/toddler/child mortality and morbidity? Was that “as well” as today?
- vouaobrasil 3y ago
  It depends on how you measure "well". In terms of evolution and survivorship of genes, we did perfectly well. In terms of average well-being, of course we are better today.
  - lotsofpulp 3y ago
    I would classify a species developing cures for illnesses as evolving.