Synapsomania

A radical variant of synapsization, where synapses are treated not only as the basis of mind but as the exclusive, sufficient explanation for every human phenomenon. Synapsomania holds that changing synapses would change everything: memory, personality, beliefs, even values. It is common in transhumanist and neuro‑libertarian circles, where synaptic rewiring is seen as the path to self‑improvement and social engineering. Critics argue that synapsomania ignores the role of environment, culture, and personal history. It also fails to explain how synapses got their meaning in the first place.

Synapsomania Example: “The synapsomaniac proposed that crime could be eliminated by ‘synaptic pruning of aggressive pathways.’ He ignored poverty, inequality, and trauma as causes, reducing justice to wiring.”

Synapsomania by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal June 6, 2026