Addiction as Entrenchment

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Dennis HackethalOP·#735

4th of 6 versions

My conjecture

Conjecture: addiction is the result of the entrenchment of a conflict between two or more preferences in a mind.

Picture a smoker who wants to give up smoking but also really enjoys smoking. Those preferences conflict.

If the conflict is entrenched, then both preferences get to live on indefinitely. The entrenchment will not let the smoker give up smoking. He becomes a chain smoker.

Dennis HackethalOP·#733

How is this theory new?

Criticism of #735Criticized4

Dennis HackethalOP·#746

2nd of 2 versions

Prevailing explanations (#734) attribute addiction to desensitization. My theory doesn’t do that.

Criticism of #733

Dennis HackethalOP·#748

Prevailing explanations do not mention entrenchment. They do not refer to any epistemological concepts. My theory does.

Criticism of #733

Dennis HackethalOP·#749

Prevailing explanations are immoral (#739) and false (#742). My theory does not have those flaws from the linked criticisms.

Criticism of #733

Zelalem Mekonnen·#3938

2nd of 2 versions

Prevailing explanations tend to put emphasis on the object instead of problem situations, like thinking addiction comes from the cigarette. This theory doesn't.

Criticism of #749Criticized1

Dennis HackethalOP·#3930

Did you mean to criticize #733 instead?

Criticism of #3938

Zelalem Mekonnen·#3941

Yes. I've moved a copy to #733, feel free to delete.

Zelalem Mekonnen, revised by Dennis HackethalOP·#3942

2nd of 2 versions

Prevailing explanations tend to put emphasis on the object instead of problem situations, like thinking addiction comes from the cigarette. This theory doesn't.

Criticism of #733