Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!mtuxo!lzfme!jwi
From: jwi@lzfme.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Free will and responsibility.
Summary: On becoming human
Keywords: Libertarianism, behaviorism , existentialism
Message-ID: <1385@lzfme.att.com>
Date: 6 Jun 89 17:18:39 GMT
References: <10333@ihlpb.ATT.COM> <3850@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <52019@linus.UUCP> <54908@linus.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T, Lincroft NJ
Lines: 45

> Barry W. Kort writes:

> I don't think behaviorism is an accurate (or useful) model for mature
> sentient beings.  (It may be OK for naive neural networks.)  As to
> mental health, I think the behaviorists are more likely to induce
> neurosis than those who care about free will.  My own experience
> has shown that it is wiser to provide people with accurate observational
> reports than to directly manipulate their behavior with a cleverly
> devised system of rewards and punishment. (At least, I think it is a
> more humane way to treat one's fellow human.)

_As to mental health, I think the behaviorists are more_ like *Good
Christians* who will provide a crutch that helps a neurotic live with
a problem instead of solving it. (Or in the case of mental health,
solving the problem for *society* without solving it for the
patient.)

My own experience has shown that accurate observational reports are
useful only if you (as therapist) are trained (and willing), and the
subject (patient) is also willing to undergo an abreactive crisis to
relive the experience(s) that have caused the shunt into negative
behavior patterns. Comming out of the crisis, the patterns can then
be realigned with current (rather than past) reality, and then the
accurate observational reports can be accepted and used to solve the
problem or alter the behavior patterns.

Otherwise, the accurate observational reports are simply
misinterpreted by the subject with no change in mental health except
a stronger, more developed set of defense mechanisms that will
resist the accurate observational reports and maintain the previous
behavior patterns.

It would be interesting to put an artificial intelligence into
abreactive crisis. I have no idea how this would be done, or even
what it would mean, given the state of the art -- but it would be
interesting.

Jim Winer ..!lzfme!jwi 

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