Another great episode of ST-Voyager (s7e13, “Repentance”). In one scene, Janeway is debating with Seven
of Nine and the Doctor (EMH) about what to do with this Nygean convict, Iko,
who was found guilty of killing someone:
Upon scanning the brain of this killer, the EMH finds a defect. The scene goes like this:
EMH: I found something.
This is a scan depicting a healthy Nygean brain. This node is analogous to the
human pineal gland. In addition to controlling behavioral impulses, it
regulates decision making. You might say it's the physiological equivalent of a
conscience.
SEVEN: Normally, the node connects to the rest of the brain through a
series of neural pathways.
EMH: Now look at this scan of Iko's node before we applied the
nanoprobes. It's detached.
JANEWAY: Did that happen when he was assaulted?
EMH: No, I believe it's congenital. A birth defect.
SEVEN: Without the node, Iko would have been prone to violence and
sociopathic behavior all his life.
EMH: When I used Seven's nanoprobes to treat the injuries from the
assault, it seems they inadvertently repaired the defect as well.
JANEWAY: You've activated his conscience. Well, that would explain why
he's suddenly experiencing guilt.
EMH: There's more to it than that. I believe he's become capable of
controlling his violent impulses.
JANEWAY: Capable maybe, but how do you know he will?
EMH: Even the thought of violence makes him ill now. In my opinion, he's
no longer a threat to anyone.
SEVEN: By some definitions, Captain, he's not the same man who committed
the murder.
JANEWAY: Are you suggesting we release
him?
EMH: Of course not. But at the very least his case should be
re-examined.
JANEWAY: Because he's sorry.
SEVEN: There's new medical evidence to be considered.
JANEWAY: None of it changes the fact that he killed a man.
SEVEN: He was suffering from a neurological defect. He couldn't control
his behavior.
EMH: If Iko had been diagnosed and treated, he never would have
committed that crime. In a manner of speaking, he's a victim of his own
biology.
JANEWAY: So Iko is the victim now?
SEVEN: No one's denying that he committed a terrible crime. But as a
result of the Doctor's treatments he's undergone a fundamental change. Killing
him won't accomplish anything.
JANEWAY: That's not your decision to make.
SEVEN: Nor is it yours.
JANEWAY: He's obviously deceiving you somehow.
JANEWAY: Listen, we could debate this all day but the fact is, our
personal opinions are irrelevant. All that matters is Nygean law.
For the tl;dr crowd, the key phrase there was “In a manner
of speaking, he’s a victim of his own biology.”
That’s where you (your opinion) comes in for this OP.
Questions:
Q1: Anomalies happen, but for the most part, are criminals and
what we call “evil people” a victim of their own brain biology? For that matter...
Q2: Are frailties in human behaviors (greed, vengeance,
and/or otherwise what we think of as negative emotions) also biologically
driven?
Yes, these questions could be thought of as a subset of the age-old
free will debates.
Q3: Is the only real check on such behaviors the “overseers,”
such as civil and criminal laws, God, conscience?
Can one “oversee” their own brain biology?
Think about it and post a reply.
(by PrimalSoup)