The Moral Brain

Catalog description

How do we learn to cooperate, help others in need, and appropriately respond after being treated unfairly? The human mind strives to resolve the competing pressures of self-interest against the greater good. By drawing upon many disciplines including philosophy, social and affective neuroscience, abnormal psychology, law, and experimental economics, this course covers topics from 18th-century philosophy to modern-day neuroscience. We will examine 1) the philosophical and epistemological foundations of moral thought, 2) the influence of emotion and contextual framing on moral action, 3) the psychopathology of immoral choice, and 4) the underlying cognitive and neurobiological processes that guide moral decision-making. Registration for this course will be determined by the faculty on the first day of class. The final class list is determined by 1) some working knowledge in cognitive neuroscience (evidence by taking at least 1 prior class in the