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amphetamines have been with us
for sorne time. They act in a general
way - putting the brain to sleep,
calming the minds of the agitated,
or helping ward off the black de–
spair of mental patients - but they
do not act as true mood p ills, con–
trolling specific areas of the bra in
which affect limited aspects of be–
havior.
Now medical science is devel–
oping far more specific drugs which
can deal with the problem emotions
of human beings - anger, aggres–
sion, hatred or sex-obsession. Sorne
scientists have even suggested that
drugs could be used to curb violent
tendencies in the popu lation as a
whole.
" lt
is not inconceivable that
specific antihostility agents can be
placed in the water supply to make
a peaceful population," says Dr. K.
E. Moyer.
As the drug spectrum widens,
wha t assurance do we have that
drugs will be used to control human
behavior only for the common
good? Dr. Samuel Eiduson , author
of
The Human Brain,
cautions that
sorne drugs could cause society as a
whole to lack the ability or motiva–
tion to question social thought and
standards of behavior.
What might transpire if mood
pills are used on a wide scale is
potentially frightening. But the field
of genetic engineering is even more
awesome in its long-range potential
than mood pills!
Tamper i ng With
Heredity
While sorne regard major strides
in the a rea of genetics as a long way
off into the future, others assert that
biological predictions are always too
conservative. T hey believe tha t man
must prepare himsel f for a revolu–
tion which wi ll soon affect sorne of
his most cherished inst itutions - in–
cluding religion. marriage a nd the
family.
In 1969 a tearn of scientists at
Harvard University Medica! School
isolated the basic chemical unit of
heredity, the gene. While many
hailed this as a major breakthrough,
PLAIN TAUTH June-July 1974
sorne expressed grave fears for the
future.
Commented London's
Daily Tele–
graph:
"Control of human behavior
by manipulation of the genes has
long been a n igh tmare of sorne so–
cial thinkers, who have foreseen the
spectre of a rigidly controlled popu–
la tion, programmed from birth to be
docile and to refrain instinctively
from any individualistic enterprise."
Most of the fears which scieotists
express concern the
misuse
of their
discoveries by dictators or poli t ical
or religious madmen. They reason
that as long as we keep our balance
DWIGHT D . EISENHOWER
" Science seems ready to confer
upon us, as i t s final gift, the
power to erase human lite from
this planet."
and evaluate new techniques care–
fully. we shall very likely avoid
nightmares such as those science–
fiction writers have pictured.
Samuel Eiduson put it this way:
"... if we always consider the inevi–
table g rowth in our biological
knowledge in terms of whether it
maximizes
oc
decreases our possible
alternatives of response to the
world. then the danger of mind con–
trol will be minimized"
(The Human
Brain,
p.
157).
But as tiene runs out in tbe des–
perate search for world peace, will
man always consider?
Not many years ago. even the
now-commonplace practice of abor–
tion would have been deplored by
most. What makes us so sure that
we will always consider the full im–
pl ications when there has been so
gigant ic a change in th inking in one
decade?
The London
Daily Telegraph
ex–
pressed just this concern. "Well–
meaning politicians." it said. "desir–
ing to eradicate criminal tendencies.
might unwittingly eradicate high
spirits and a taste for adventure as
well. Their mistake could condemn
the human species to intellectual
moral decay" (Nov. 24. 1969).
It
becomes clear that while scien–
tists certainly desire to act in the
best interests of humanity. their so–
lutions are, in most instances. dis–
tant and always fraught with
dangers. Yet scientists know that the
human race is running out of time.
They see man's aggressive tenden–
cies. coupled with awesome destruc–
tive potential. as a threat to human
existence. They recognize that man
has to change if' he is to survive.
T hey cannot afford to look upon
their discoveries as distant and lm–
practical.
What t he Mind Really ls
Most laymen say. "You can't
change human nature." But many
scientists are convinced that human
nature can be altered because they
believe it to be merely a physical
machine.
Is human nature merely the prod–
uct of a physical brain? Can the
mind. in fact, be scientifically al–
tered so that man's nature would be
improved?
The answer is that man's iohereot
nature can be changed! But not in
the way science dreams of.
T he most up-to-date scientific re–
search reveals that the human brain
of itself cannot account for human
mind. The abilities of our minds are
out of all proportion to the capacity
of the physical brain. Mancan theo–
rize. imagine, plan and design be–
cause his mind is not limited to the
instinct of animal brain.
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