_Sky brought up the Abuse Excuse. Very interesting point. If you read my discussion of Determinism in Chapter 14, it will sound as if I would excuse almost any behavior because everything we do is "lawful." The problem is that we don't know all the laws that determine our angry, hurtful behaviors...and we don't know the degree that conscious decision making can overcome the emotional-based impulses based on anger and selfishness.

Will power is not used often in psychology but even the law allows an excuse for an "uncontrollable impulse" but it isn't spelled out by science when an impulse is so powerful and justified that it can excuse our angry impulses. I don't have much to add to this discussion if it goes in this direction. Anyone have a reaction to the use of abuse as an excuse for one's bad behavior?