Would you kill a baby Hitler... or a baby psychopath?

If one had the ability to identify a baby psychopath, one would also have the ability to treat the baby before it manifested psychopathic behavior.

Pre-emptive murder is not justified.

I’m not sure that my brain would let me process the absolute fact that I was looking down at a baby Hitler. You could show me brain scans and other data as proof but as I look upon the sweet face of a baby, I could not kill it.

I don’t know, honestly.
IF it could be determined that the baby psychopath could be treated to at least, mitigate the worst of it’s potential deviant behavior, no. Otherwise, yes.
Since it has been determined that psychopathy is about genetic abnormalities in the frontal cortex of the brain that lends itself to lack or empathy and emotional relating, I think the best that could be expected would be to prevent murderous impulses but it is not possible to change the leopards spots in their entirety. If the little psychopath could be prevented from harming others, animals and maybe relegate their tendencies to the lesser degree of basic self centeredness that certainly would save a lot of suffering of innocent victims even of they might still wreak havoc in their personal lives/relationships.

Serial cheating, child abuse/neglect, theft, con artist tendencies, conduct disorders etc.
Most psychopaths do not kill, but they can still be very challenging people to deal with in relationship, the workplace, politics, law enforcement, the military. All realms where their behaviors can be played out in a safe and vicarious manner.

I do not believe in the absolute concept of “nature” in the “nature/nurture” debate. These babies may indeed grow up to be a person with some sort of major psycho/social dysfunction, but not necessarily a monster in another environment. Put the baby in a different environment, there will likely be a different outcome.

Well, it would drastically change history and many people would have never been born. In one way, by killing baby Hitler, you’re also killing unborn people.

This poor poor little girl was a psycho… but cured!

Love rules man… I mean really… Love freaking RULES!

@canidmajor There is some truth to that. In certain Asian cultures where life is more revered the psychopathic child might abstain from the worst demonstrations of violence and cruelty due to cultural mandates, but, in general, there is a lot of truth to the “bad seed” theory. We know many mental health issues as well as physical, are genetically predisposed and while we might be able to mitigate the worst behaviors we cannot alter brain structure and the missing links, so to speak, that lend themselves to the psychopathic dilemma. For every psychopathic serial killer that was abused as a child there are also many that were not. There is no fool proof way to predict how this behavior may or may not manifest.

Plenty of people survived abusive backgrounds and did not go on to be abusers or violent criminals either. The still, not understood, psychology of resilience.
Why some overcome grave hardship and abuse and others do not.

Psychopathy does not guarantee criminal behavior. This famous case outlines this perfectly. I still would not trust or want to be anywhere near a confirmed individual though. Call me prejudice, guilty in this case.

If the baby had a right parting, a sour expression and a small moustache then possibly.

@Coloma: I never said the baby would be a model citizen, but might not live life as a monster. I do not believe that killing a baby because it might turn into an evil person is any kind of answer.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies My God…...

“Bobby, Bobby…BOBBY”

As @zenvelo wrote, eliminate them by healing.

If my only option were violence, due to some sadistic plot device, then in many cases yes, though I might in some cases also want to take out the people who caused the person to become that way in the first place

Depends. If I had to strangle it or stab it probably not. But if I could just toss it off a tall building or bridge I would be cool with that.

Even assuming that you subscribe to a purely utilitarian morality (thus setting aside the absolute moral rule saying that killing a baby—any baby—is inherently wrong), how would you be certain that killing todler Hitler would not result in a WORSE outcome than letting him live?

Perhaps there would still be a nazi party rising to power in Germany but with a more intelligent and resilient furher. Perhaps that other leader could beat the red army and set up a truly 1000 yr reich…

@canidmajor Of course, that is why I said, with major emphasis, “if” it could be determined with certainty.
I didn’t intend to imply that we should kill based on potential, but IF, there was a way to determine with absolute certainty the odds of monsterdom, I would opt to euthanize the infant. Sacrifice for the greater good, such as Hitler, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, the list goes on & on.

@Dutchess_III “My God…...”

I know. Just sickening. But she was healed with love. Love baby… LOVE!!!

I’m under the strong belief that her father was not THE monster. Her father was a tool for the monster. The real monster is the sickness… the psychopathology. Though the father should be punished to fullest extent of the law, we should not disregard his upbringing, and the sickness his parents infected him with… and the grandparents… and the great grandparents, etc…

I’m starting to view these pathogens as demons… invisible devils that run through a family lineage… living beyond any victim to reincarnate into the next generation. A major survival strategy for the pathogen is to divert attention away from itself by pointing the blame on any one individual… the girls father. But this sick pathogen is much more ancient than anyone alive today. And the only way to stop it is to see it for what IT is, rather than what it caused a person to become.

The precious little girl was saved and the real monster destroyed with an anti-pathogen called… non judgmental love. Exactly the opposite of what the monster wants us to become as accusers full of judgmental hatred. Clever devil.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies A lot of what that little girl did is extremely similar to what my adopted niece did (but honestly milder, in certain ways), who also experienced abuse at an extremely young age. The hardships we’ve had to overcome with her are very, very similar. She developed something called RAD and it’s one of the hardest things my family and I have ever had to deal with. Her psychologists and psychiatrists were extremely worried that she was well on her way to becoming a sociopath/psychopath. She’s come a very long way since coming into our lives – to say the least – and I guess I’m rambling to say thank you for posting that. It gives me hope for her future and makes me glad that she has come so far.

People underestimate what love can do. Most people don’t have the patience, but if people are willing to go through hell and back, it can literally save someone’s life. So no, I would not kill a baby Hitler. I would love a baby Hitler and teach it right from wrong.

And now I have to take a break because I’m all emotional. lol

Love it @DrasticDreamer!

Oh, it must be such a heartbreak @DrasticDreamer. Thank you for sharing with us.

Has anyone here played Red Alert? Einstein goes back in time and removes Hitler from history and terrible things still happen (albeit differently). The point is, what are the consequences of removing a(n) (in)famous from history? Hell, what are the consequences of removing anyone from history? Nothing happens in a vacuum, something can and will – if not has too – fill up the gap. Removing Hitler or whomever from history might just let something even worse take its place.

As for a baby psychopath…I can’t say I care for babies, period. Such annoying little shit machines.