Neuroethics and philosophy

In: Filozofija i društvo, Band 25, Heft 2, S. 181-203

Abstract

Neuro-ethics is probably fastest growing part of applied ethics. The main
thesis is that certain natural processes in brain and nerves produce certain
moral, and immoral, behaviors. All these processes can be explained causally,
and (if this is so) neuro-ethics might be the final result of neuroscience.
There are some metaphysical and ethical pitfalls to be considered, however,
like the (incorrect) conflation of causal explanation and rational
justification in definingvalues, not only non-moral values but moral values
as well. Certainly, the knowledge of how neurological processes function
could help to enhance the quality of human life, not only in coping with
defects but also in improving the so-called ?normal life?. This implies that
neuroethics is instrumental, dealing with values which are instrumental as
well. However, neuroethics, it seems, aspires to go further than that: to
explain how goals come into existence and what their articulation should look
like. All of this should be causally explained, or at least explainable; and
the main focus of the paper is an analysis of this aspiration. The analysis
refers to some important distinctions like the distinction between causes and
reasons, explanation and justification, or the one between means and ends. At
the end of the paper there is a section about applications, where some of the
benefits and risks are summarily indicated, with a conclusion that
neuroethics surely might help in advancing the overall quality of human life,
individual and social.