Descartes' Error - Antonio Damasio

I confess that I got a bit lost in all the science within the book.  Nonetheless, I am able to grasp Damasio's main ideas in this text.  I definitely agree with him that the mind-body separation is inaccurate and that emotion plays a very important role in our ability to reason well.

I think the text gives more credence as to why we should not make judgements on certain segments of people like addicts (of drugs or non-drugs, activities) at face value as the examples of Phineas Gage and Eliot demonstrates.  There may be circumstances of the individuals that we are not aware of.  Damasio's arguments also require that we reevaluate our justice and medical systems when dealing with individuals such as Gage and Eliot.  As Damasio points out, it is wrong to blame such a person's inability to function well in society as mere character or psychological weakness.  Modern day society is certainly prone to this blame game and I confess that I have fallen into the trap also.

If a person lacks the emotional and thus the rational ability to predict future outcomes beneficial to one's self, to loved ones and to her/his society, can we really blame them for their actions?

Can we blame Medea for her passion for revenge?  I do not know but within a modern day context, if a modern day Medea exists and if it is determined that she possesses a 'deficiency' similar to that of Eliot, I do think that killing Medea or locking her away for life in a mental ward are not ways to effectively help her nor help society.

As mentioned in my entry on Hume, I concur with Hume and now Damasio that reason and passion both play a role in our ability to function in society and to maximize our well being and happiness.  I used my veganism as an example in which I feel that the somatic markers that I experience when thinking of animal or animal byproducts in our food, clothing and beyond 'prevents' me from consuming them anymore.  In this particular issue of veganism, I feel that it is the desensitization of the once living animals as our boots/food/chair, which Damasio touched upon in the context of children being desensitized to violent imagery, that perpetuates our unethical treatment of animals, rather than any particular deficiency or damage in the brain/mind.