Psychopath

Mark Brandon Read is better known as "Chopper". In 2000 a film based on his life was released. Chopper has claimed to have murdered 19 people, had his ears cut off in prison, and thinks using bolt cutters to cut off people's toes is humane. In the news clip below he rejects the suggestion by the reporter that he is a sociopath.



It's possible that Chopper is a psychopath. Recent research suggests that psychopaths are born to be psychopathic and their childhood experiences, family, and environmental factors play no role. The Hare psychopathy checklist has been developed to identify people with psychopathy. Most researchers now think that psychopathy is due to a neurological disorder. These findings raise serious legal and moral issues. If someone is born with a biological predisposition for aggression and aggressive behaviour can they argue that they are not responsible for their behaviour? How does this research influence the free will and determinism debates? Could Chopper claim that he is not responsible for his extreme aggression: he was born to be aggressive and violent.

The video below is an Equinox documentary that outlines the latest research on psychopathy.



You can watch the film Chopper on Youtube here...