In A Clockwork Orange, the narrator, Alex, commits a heinous crime. In prison, Alex is offered a behavior modification program in exchange for a shortened sentence. The treatment takes away Alex’s ability to make his own decisions—his violent nature is conditioned out of him.
In an article published this week in Motherboard, writer Zoltan Istvan makes a case for a similar piece of technology: a brain implant that could turn the worst criminals into upstanding members of society, rehabilitating them in a way never before possible.
The technology is already almost there, he argues—thousands of people use implants to treat deafness or epilepsy or Alzheimer’s. Some new forms claim to alter people’s moods. And with millions of government dollars pouring into brain research, this sort of implant must be right around the corner.
I – Word Understanding
A Clockwork Orange – a 1971 crime film
heinous – evil / horrible
upstanding – respectable
II – Have Your Say
1. What makes a criminal? Some people believe that violent crime is a version of mental disease.
2. Death penalty is the ultimate punishment for crime. It is supposed to make the society feel safe that a criminal no longer exist. Can brain implant replace death penalty?
3. Several studies have been conducted on brain implants for several other purposes like medical and psychological issues. Can brain implant make the world a better place?
362 COULD WE GIVE CRIMINALS CORRECTIVE BRAIN IMPLANTS? (instead of the death penalty)
