Neuroethics and Society

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

The brain sciences are changing our minds, materially as well as intellectually. Vast social impacts are already arriving. Brain scanning is mapping the mind’s cognitive areas, and starting to read our thoughts. Brain stimulation is changing how consciousness and thinking perform their mental tasks. Neurointerfacing is connecting computing with thinking to control prosthetics and engage the internet. Neuroenhancements offer brain boosts and faster learning, and maybe better decisions. Are we ready for re-thinking what we think the mind is? Are we prepared to alter or abandon traditional views about free will, agency, character, and moral responsibility? This course addresses issues, questions, and problems of neuroscience and technology addressed by the growing field of neuroethics. Key ethical concerns arriving with such neuroscientific and neurotechnological progress will be examined as the 21st century continues to astonish us with innovations in brain science. Along the way, a new paradigm for neuroethical principles to guide research and implementation will be presented.