13 votes

The cold logic of drunk people - At a bar in France, researchers made people answer questions about philosophy

Posted by corleone
Tags: philosophy, alcohol, utilitarianism, inebriation, researchers, france, author.emma green, source.the atlantic, paywall
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-cold-logic-of-drunk-people/381908/

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Title
Are Drunk People More Philosophically Rigorous?
Authors
Emma Green
Published
Oct 27 2014
Word count
744 words

5 comments

  1. [5]
    archevel
    Link
    Did they control for the obvious reverse correlation, i.e utilitarians tend to get more drunk at bars? This seems more like a case of lowered inhibitions than drunkss being utilitarians. Drunk...

    Did they control for the obvious reverse correlation, i.e utilitarians tend to get more drunk at bars?

    This seems more like a case of lowered inhibitions than drunkss being utilitarians. Drunk people are more likely to kill others in general no?

    7 votes
    1. [4]
      vord
      Link Parent
      If they're operating things that are fairly unsafe while sober? Yea. But I don't know many drunks whom turn murderous. I've noticed that drinking just results in the inner thoughts becoming outer...

      Drunk people are more likely to kill others in general no?

      If they're operating things that are fairly unsafe while sober? Yea. But I don't know many drunks whom turn murderous.

      I've noticed that drinking just results in the inner thoughts becoming outer thoughts in a more truthful manner. Hence the "racist uncle at Thanksgiving" trope.

      3 votes
      1. [3]
        archevel
        Link Parent
        I was thinking more in line of this report:

        I was thinking more in line of this report:

        Studies have generally found that the more serious the crime or injuries, the more likely alcohol was involved. For example, a recent study showed that drinking offenders committed 15 percent of robberies, 26 percent of aggravated and simple assaults, and 37 percent of rapes and sexual assaults (Greenfeld 1998).

        3 votes
        1. [2]
          corleone
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          One thought occurred to me: it is conceivable that someone would ingest alcohol with the purpose of dulling their judgement to facilitate the criminal act. "Liquid courage", as they say.

          One thought occurred to me: it is conceivable that someone would ingest alcohol with the purpose of dulling their judgement to facilitate the criminal act. "Liquid courage", as they say.

          4 votes
          1. 0d_billie
            Link Parent
            That seems like a fair assessment, although I always think "liquid courage" has quite an intentional feeling to it. When I drink, my ability to control my impulses and to assess risk are not...

            That seems like a fair assessment, although I always think "liquid courage" has quite an intentional feeling to it. When I drink, my ability to control my impulses and to assess risk are not absent, but certainly very much reduced. I rarely drink to bolster my courage, but I do find that I don't make the best decisions.
            Not to suggest that none of those crimes weren't premeditated! But I do wonder what proportion of them are the result of bad decision making, rather than of trying to drum up the necessary numbness to go through with it.

            2 votes