Would You Kill the Child?...

This morning I heard a conversation on public radio with author and scientist Jesse Bering PhD.   Dr. Bering has a new book and has a speaking engagement about the book and it’s contents in Seattle this evening.   Dr. Bering has done a great deal of research in evolutionary biology and the conversation at one point focused on human choice and what makes us what we are as humans.  I wish to touch on some points raised during that conversation.  Does free will exist?  Interesting research has shown that if scientists tell people that there is no free will, that they do not have control over their lives, they have a tendency to become more antisocial and will live their lives that way.  The opposite exists if people are led to believe that they do have free will.  The studies have shown that people are able to make personal choices that they feel matters and they live more kindly and more altruistically.   Interesting findings don’t you think? 
Also in the discussion about free will the subject of the holocaust was brought up.  Dr. Bering proposed an interesting dilemma.   What if it were possible to go back in time
and find a five year old Adolph Hitler?  If we believe in free will then there would be many places in Hitler’s life where he could have made the decision to not proceed as he did.  If you found him as a five year old would you try to talk to his parents and get them to raise him differently?  Would some archival footage of the holocaust shown to his parents get them to raise him differently?  And last of all, if you were convinced this child was the future Adolph Hitler that was to kill or the be cause of death of millions of people through his lifetime would you kill the child?

The author is Jesse Bering PhD, and the title of his book, yes this is really the title: WHY IS THE PENIS SHAPED LIKE THAT and other reflections on being human.   Dr. Bering’s website is http://www.jessebering.com/ and the book is available at Amazon and as a digital download on itunes and in Kindle format.