"New evidence recently has emerged in the fields of neurology and 
psychology which suggests that psychopathic behavior is a predictable 
and scarcely preventable manifestation of a damaged brain, revealed 
by callous and unemotional traits detectable in children even at a 
very young age. These findings have re-awakened age-old discussions 
about the relationship between free will and the commission of 
terrible wrongdoing. For example, subscribers to the Manichean model 
of evil, many of whom are attracted to a theology heavily reliant on 
the Book of Revelation, are prone to interpret favorably new research 
which supports the notion that psychopathic behavior results from 
defective brains, seeing it as further evidence of Satan acting in 
the world. This talk will present and evaluate this new "Manichean" 
challenge to standard (e.g. Kantian) accounts of evil that tend to 
rely, among other things, on a robust sense of personal responsibility."

Andrew Flescher will be giving a keynote talk at Hartford Seminary at 
7:00pm on November 9th 
(http://www.hartsem.edu/pages/about-us/events.aspx). The talk, titled 
"Psychopathy and the New Manichean Challenge to Moral Agency," 
will  present and evaluate the new "Manichean" challenge that 
biologically determined psychopathy poses to standard (e.g. Kantian) 
accounts of evil that tend to rely, among other things, on a robust 
sense of personal responsibility.

www.peoplewho.org