Neuroethics

March 10, 2004 11:17 AM

Whose life would you save? Carl Zimmer takes a look at the work of philospher-neuroscientist Joshua Greene in the emerging field of the neuroscience of ethics and morality (Leon Kass, take note.) [Via Dynamist Blog.]
posted by homunculus (6 comments total)

Great post.

An illuminating quote from the article:

“Once you understand someone’s behavior on a sufficiently mechanical level, it’s very hard to look at them as evil,” he says. “You can look at them as dangerous; you can pity them; but evil doesn’t exist on a neuronal level.”
posted by jsonic at 11:41 AM on March 10, 2004

That's really cool. Our brains rock.
posted by lumpley at 12:16 PM on March 10, 2004

Very interesting post, good stuff homonculus.
posted by monkeyman at 12:25 PM on March 10, 2004

I was reading this in the April issue of Discover today, thinking what a great post it would make. Good work homonculus!
posted by Irontom at 12:51 PM on March 10, 2004

I'd liked this too, it clarified my thinking on the Buddhist notion that moral rules about right and wrong do not work nearly so well as trusting our innate goodness, intuition, whatever... Buddha nature. Humans not too badly distorted by suffering in their lives will do the right thing.
posted by Slagman at 5:07 PM on March 10, 2004

Excellent post.
posted by languagehat at 7:11 AM on March 11, 2004