Neuroethics: The Ethics of Neuroscience and the Neuroscience of Ethics

Catalog description

Neuroethics, as an area of study, can be divided into two sub-fields: the neuroscience of ethics and the ethics of neuroscience (Roskies 2002). The neuroscience of ethics deals with our growing understanding of the underlying mechanism of social behavior relevant to morality – for instance, the origins and nature of empathy, altruism, aggression, self-control, reasoning, and the role of our emotions and intuitions in moral decision making. The ethics of neuroscience is a branch of applied ethics or bioethics. It focuses on ethical issues that originate in new advances and possibilities in neuroscience. Especially relevant here is the fact that advances in neuroscience not only extend our understanding of the brain, but also raise the possibility of interventions to modify our brain. This course is designed to give students a philosophical overview of these topics, and opportunities to think critically about ethical implications related to neuroscience and advances in medicine. We will explore fundamental topics in both branches of Neuroethics. Drawing from a variety of fields—neuroscience, philosophy, social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and evolutionary theory—we will investigate and discuss questions like: What are the evolutionary origins of moral judgment? Does evolutionary theory shed light on normative moral questions? Do our moral motivations derive from reason or pre-reflective intuition? Do psychopaths have moral responsibility? Do we have free will? Is there an obligation to enhance ourselves? Should drugs be used to enhance mental functioning?