Neuroethics: Ethical and Social Implications of Neuroscience

Neuroethics is a new area of scholarly activity, looking at ethical and social issues raised by the research and clinical applications of new technologies that deliver increasingly detailed information about brains and their activities.

Brian Schrag, the executive director of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, and Colin Allen, from the Cognitive Science Program and the History and Philosophy of Science Department at IU, have received a New Frontiers in Arts and Humanities grant from the IU Office of the Vice Provost for Research to explore the ethics issues raised by the new research in neuroscience. The grant provides funding for speakers for half-day workshops in 2009-10.

Completed Lectures

Animal Pain and Biomedical Research: Ethics and Practice, June 10, 2009

How are we to approach the ethical issues involved in using animals in biomedical research? Dr. Lida Anestidou, Program Officer at the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research at The National Academies, addressed the issues June 10, 2009.

The audiostream of Dr. Anestidou's lecture is available online at broadcast.iu.edu, using RealPlayer 8 Basic (a free program).

Dr. Anestidou, DVM and PhD in Biomedical Sciences, was a research instructor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center prior to coming to The National Academies. She has published numerous articles and presented at many conferences.

Brian Schrag, Colin Allen, Lida Anestidou

Dr. Anestidou's presentation was prior to her participation in a pre-conference workshop on Animal Neuroethics on June 11. The workshop was part of the annual meeting of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology, June 12-14.

Emerging Issues in Neuroethics: Individual Responsibility and Empathy, December 9, 2009

Dr. Stephanie Bird spoke on "Emerging Issues in Neuroethics: Individual Responsibility and Empathy" on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at 4 p.m. in Psychology 101.

Colin Allen, Stephanie Bird, Alexander Murphy-Nakhnikian, Richard Miller, Brian Schrag

Dr. Stephanie J. Bird is an independent consultant, internationally-known speaker, and co-editor of the journal Science and Engineering Ethics, an international journal in its fifteenth year of publication that explores ethical issues of direct concern to scientists and engineers. She is a laboratory-trained neuroscientist whose research interests focus on the ethical, legal and social policy implications of scientific research, especially in the area of neuroscience. Her theoretical and laboratory training have been complemented by work in areas of ethical and legal philosophy.

The audiostream of Dr. Bird's lecture is available online at broadcast.iu.edu, using RealPlayer 8 Basic (a free program).

Neurons, Mechanism, and Freedom of the Will, April 9, 2010

Adina Roskies, who teaches in the Philosophy Department at Dartmouth College, spoke April 9 on "Neuron, Mechanism, and Freedom of the Will." This presentation was part of the History and Philosophy of Science Colloquium.

What can neuroscience tell us about free will? Professor Roskies discussed the traditional problem of free will and the limitations of neuroscience in addressing it. However, she argues neuroscience can contribute positively to the discussion. She discussed some neuroscientific data from monkeys that illuminates the neural basis of decision-making. She argued that this simple model can be generalized to a picture that can accommodate complex decisions made for reasons. This picture accords well with some compatibilist views on free will, and may provide the first steps of a synthetic approach to a theory of freedom.

The audiostream of Dr. Roskies lecture is available online at broadcast.iu.edu, using RealPlayer 8 Basic (a free program).

Brian Schrag, Adina Roskies, Colin Allen

Moral and Amoral Neurobiology: The Roles of the Amygdala, Striatum and Orbital Frontal Cortex, April 28, 2010

James Blair, National Institutes of Health, spoke on April 28, 2010. Dr. Blair's topic was "Moral and Amoral Neurobiology: The Roles of the Amygdala, Striatum and Orbital Frontal Cortex."

Dr. Blair is the chief for the Unit on Affective Cognitive Neuroscience in the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at the National Institute of Mental Health. He received his Ph. D. in Psychology from University College London. He joined the NIMH Intramural Research Program in 2002.

The audiostream of Dr. Blair's lecture is available online at broadcast.iu.edu, using RealPlayer 8 Basic (a free program).

Aine Puce of IU and James Blair joined in a conversation after the lecture.

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