Beyond Feelings

CHAPTER 19 Persuading Others
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whether they will study or not and, if they decide to do so, of what and where
they will study. Among the important questions to be considered are these: Why
was compulsory education begun? Was it a good idea then? Have the social
conditions changed significantly since that time?
19. Yale University’s Dr. José Delgado dramatized the effectiveness of electrical
stimulation of the brain (ESB) as a means of controlling behavior. He demonstrated
that by “wiring” the brain of a fighting bull and merely pushing a button
that transmits an electrical charge to the animal’s brain, he can stop it in the middle
of an enraged charge. He also established that repeated electrical stimulation
diminishes a bull’s natural aggressiveness. Similar experiments have shown that
chemical stimulation of the brain (CSB) by the strategic placement of tiny tubes
of time-released substances is similarly effective. Some people believe it would
be desirable to use these techniques on criminals or mental patients or students
with certain impediments to learning. Others see any such use as an Orwellian
nightmare. What might be the dangers of the use of such techniques on humans?
Might their use be regulated to minimize abuses?
20. Some argue that the parents of students who attend private and parochial
schools should be allowed to deduct tuition expenses on their federal income
tax forms. For several decades advocates of the idea have argued that fairness
demands it because such parents already support the public schools through
taxes and must at present bear an additional financial burden for exercising free
choice over their children’s education. Opponents argue that the proposal violates
the principle of separation of church and state (at least in the case of parochial
schools) and would harm the public school system. Which viewpoint is more
reasonable?
21. The 1990s witnessed the beginning of a new phenomenon—children
divorcing their parents. What possible effects could this phenomenon have on the
relationship between children and parents? Between government and families?
Which of these effects are most likely to occur? Are they desirable or undesirable?
22. Top executives of large corporations often earn millions of dollars a year
in salaries, bonuses, and benefits while the vast majority of people who work for
them earn modest wages, sometimes no more than the minimum hourly amount
required by law. Some people believe that an economic system that permits such
disparity to exist is wrong and should be changed. Others argue that no change
is possible without stifling human initiative. How might the economic system be
changed? Should it be changed?
23. Because journalists serve the important function of collecting information
for public dissemination, they traditionally have claimed the right to keep their
sources of information confidential, even from the courts. That claim has been
challenged many times in the courts, and reporters have on occasion been held in
contempt of court and sent to jail for refusing to divulge their sources. In taking
such action, judges have not denied the basic principle of confidentiality; they
have merely asserted that it has definite limits. Do you agree with them?
24. Some people claim that video games are harmful to young minds. Others,
including some psychologists and educators, believe that, far from being harmful
to children, video games are in some ways helpful. What benefits and/or drawbacks
are there in video games?
25. One of the causes of the antisocial behavior so prevalent today, according
to some analysts, is the fact that the old-fashioned hero has been largely replaced