Here's a "science"
story in Salon (free registration) that got me thinking. The author of the book the Sociopath Next Door asserts that 4% of the population are sociopaths, meaning they have no conscience. While only a small number of these peoples break laws or are violent, they cause destruction in society in other ways. She also comes to the 4% number by assuming that half of sociopaths are women.
Some other surmises--sociopaths are able to "get by" and succeed in professions like business and politics, where having no conscience can seem like an asset (would explain a lot, wouldn't it?). There are fewer overt sociopaths in Asian cultures, because individuality is valued less, and sociopaths have learned to blend in. Children seem to instinctively distrust sociopaths
I don't know about the validity of her research, but I thought I might throw out this idea of people who don't have consciences. Has anyone known a sociopath--or even someone who just seemed to not have a conscience? Are such people really that common? How many are leading the Republican party?