The
Behaviourome / Mental Map Project
- -Darryl Macer, Ph.D.
Eubios Ethics Institute
International Behaviorome web site: http://eubios.info/menmap.htm
This page was last updated on
12 May 2004.
Email: asianbioethics@yahoo.co.nz
The Behaviourome / Mental Map Project : Second Stage
Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 13 (2003), 38-9.
One of the most interesting questions before a thinking being is whether we can comprehend the ideas and thoughts of other beings, and conversely whether they can also read our mind. I have argued that we have already the means to embark upon a human mental map with the goal of describing the diversity of ideas a human being makes in any given situation or dilemma. This is the behaviourome or human mental map. This is not a map of a physical structure but a map of ideas.
Uses of the map include:
1) To understand ourselves, and whether the number of ideas is really
finite. In 1994, based on the results of the International Bioethics Survey,
which gathered opinions from 6000+ persons in 10 countries on 150 questions of
bioethics dilemmas, I proposed that the number of human ideas is finite. Since
then the evidence continues to suggest the number is finite, and thus
countable! We will only know after we map them!
2) To compare mental maps and idea diversity between persons and species.
This will allow the development of descriptive bioethics into a common
framework for comparative ethics.
3) To aid in policy making to make policy that respects the diversity of
people in a culture, and globally. This would help develop bioethics for the
people by the people. The development of biotechnology and use of humans in
clinical trials in many countries raises fundamental questions about whether
the standards used should be universal or local. The development of guidelines
should be culturally sensitive in the way ethical, social and legal aspects are
considered. Having a map of human ideas will enable us to reflect more
diversity of ideas into policy frameworks. We will have to pay attention to
ensure it is used well, and not used to dictate majority views to minorities.
4) If we can make individual mental maps, this would offer persons
assistance when making moral decisions. This would give them a chance to
consider all their ideas, and to make a more considered moral choices. This
would also be useful in the testing and implementation of better bioethics
education.
The mental map structure
The mental map presented at TRT8 on the 15 February, 2003, was a 4
dimensional model including points which represent ideas on a matrix for all
the types of ideas (9 colours (ideas) at present as in the first papers (1,2))
within a framework of six sides. The six sides are the ideals of self-love,
love of others, loving good, loving life (3), with time - memories and hopes!
I propose to add our heritage - memories and hopes to the four ideals in
decision making! Memories include our biological, social and spiritual heritage
seen in biology, medicine, society, religion, for example.
Note that this model does not necessarily exclude beings who cannot think,
as they still share a memory (history) and a future heritage. As I showed in
Bioethics is Love of Life (4), the four ideals are pre-human in origin, i.e.
they are seen in other beings that appeared in evolution before human beings.
Through the course of TRT8 discussion the mental map model, which was
presented as shown in Figure 1 as a box with 1800 grid points sized 90cm x 90cm
x 60cm, was unveiled. There is no particular significance given to 1800, rather
I expect that we will be working with a range of 10,000 ideas. The number of
ideas depends on the arbitrary limits placed around the ideas. While a virtual
map will be useful for communication, at present there is a physical model for
the initial construction phases. While a box was made with six sides, we could
imagine more sides, and with multiple dimensions other principles can be
included.
Examples where shown of how a process of decision making (see Figure 1 in reference
2) included linking ideas together and processing them to make choices. The
current mental map is built with the intention to study all the ideas used when
facing moral dilemmas, but there are other areas of the human mind that include
ideas which will be explored for integrating into a mental map.
One example of an idea that was given was the desire for food, which is a
biological necessity. One of the points that was made in discussion was that it
is difficult to say that we can understand the idea of another being. This
concern is incorporated into the mental map by the concept that the idea points
would have spheres of uncertainty around them.
This is the start of the second step of the project. The project is open to
all who wish to contribute in an open spirit of academic multidisciplinary
understanding, and those who wish to join up in the list serve are welcome. The
next phase will be to assign and volunteer for tasks in the building of a
mental map, noting that several models can be pursued to find the best for each
particular purpose of use of mental mapping.
Figure 1: Pictorial representation of mental map 1
Go to the mental mapping home page
Go to EJAIB 13 (2)
March 2003
Go to TRT8 conference program
Go to EJAIB
The Eubios Ethics Institute