The acknowledgment that biological and physiological factors, such as hormonal imbalances, genetic predispositions, or neurochemical fluctuations, exert a powerful, involuntary influence on an individual’s decision-making, motivation, and behavior, operating outside the realm of conscious, ethical, or volitional choice. This concept provides an empathetic clinical framework for understanding certain health-related behaviors not as moral failings but as manifestations of underlying biological dysregulation. It shifts the focus from blame to biological intervention.
Origin
This term is a conceptual construct bridging philosophy, ethics, and clinical neuroscience, particularly within the context of addiction, mood disorders, and metabolic health. ‘Agency’ refers to the capacity to act, and ‘non-moral’ emphasizes the lack of ethical judgment applied to the underlying biological drivers. Its clinical application emerged from endocrinology, recognizing that hormones fundamentally shape mood and impulse control.
Mechanism
The mechanism is rooted in the direct and indirect modulation of limbic and reward circuitry by circulating hormones and neuropeptides. For example, chronic stress elevates cortisol, which can impair prefrontal cortex function, reducing inhibitory control and increasing impulsive behavior. Similarly, dysregulation of appetite-regulating hormones like ghrelin and leptin can drive food-seeking behavior that overrides conscious caloric restriction, demonstrating a powerful biological imperative.
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