Moral+brain

Scientists no longer accept the existence of a distinct moral organ as phrenologists once did. A generation of young neurologists is using advanced technological medical equipment to unravel specific brain processes enabling moral cognition. In addition, evolutionary psychologists have formulated hypotheses about the origins and nature of our moral architecture. Little by little, the concept of a ‘moral brain’ is reinstated.

Scientists no longer accept the existence of a distinct moral organ as phrenologists once did. A generation of young neurologists is using advanced technological medical equipment to unravel specific brain processes enabling moral cognition. In addition, evolutionary psychologists have formulated hypotheses about the origins and nature of our moral architecture. Little by little, the concept of a ‘moral brain’ is reinstated.

Scientists no longer accept the existence of a distinct moral organ as phrenologists once did. A generation of young neurologists is using advanced technological medical equipment to unravel specific brain processes enabling moral cognition. In addition, evolutionary psychologists have formulated hypotheses about the origins and nature of our moral architecture.

When your base camp is overrun by zombies, whom do you save if you cannot save everyone? Is it permissible to sacrifice one survivor to an undead horde in order to save a greater number of the living? Do you have obligations to loved ones who have turned?

Webster's dictionary defines ethics as "a group of moral principles or set of values … governing the behavior of an individual or a profession." A moment's reflection reminds one that the definition cames inherent anthropological limits: Most ethical principles represent tribal rules, not guidelines universally deduced by the species as being to their advantage. By no means can we prove that Fiji Islanders necessarily agree with Kant's categorical imperatives. Furthermore, even within our Western tribes, subcultures differ vigorously in some aspects of their ethics. Witness the divisions that separate the principles of the Moral Majority from what many academics believe.

Psychosurgery, or the surgical treatment of mental disorders, has enjoyed a spectacular revival over the past ten years as new brain stimulation techniques have become available. Neuromodulation offers new possibilities for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), addiction, eating disorders and autism. This work presents the history of this unique specialty and investigates current techniques and ethical challenges. With a wealth of illustrations and detailed anatomical diagrams, it provides essential information for medical practitioners, as well as anyone else interested in the fascinating advances being made in neuroscience today.

Beyond Brain Death offers a provocative challenge to one of the most widely accepted conclusions of contemporary bioethics: the position that brain death marks the death of the human person. Eleven chapters by physicians, philosophers, and theologians present the case against brain-based criteria for human death.

Failed an exam, bungled an interview, screwed up a relationship, broken your diet, or stuffed up at work? Your brain is the key to getting back on track.