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Overview
Our ability to map and intervene in the structure of the human brain is proceeding at a very quick rate. Advances in psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery have given us fresh insights into the neurobiological basis of human thought and behavior. Technologies like MRI and PET scans can detect early signs of psychiatric disorders before they manifest symptoms. Electrical and magnetic stimulation of the brain can non-invasively relieve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and other conditions resistant to treatment, while implanting neuro-electrodes can help patients with Parkinsons and other motor control-related diseases. New drugs can help regenerate neuronal connections otherwise disrupted by schizophrenia and similar diseases.
All these procedures and drugs alter the neural correlates of our mind and raise fascinating and important ethical questions about their benefits and harms. They are, in a sense, among the most profound bioethical questions we face, since these techniques can touch on the deepest aspects of the human mind: free will; personal identity; the self; and the soul. This is the first single-author book on what has come to be known as neuroethics. Walter Glannon uses a philosophical framework that is fully informed by cutting edge neuroscience as well as contemporary legal cases such as Terri Schiavo, to offer readers an introduction to this fascinating topic. He starts by describing the state of the art in neuroscientific research and treatment, and gives the reader an up-to-date picture of the brain. Glannon then looks at the ethical implications of various kinds of treatments, such as: whether or not brain imaging will end up changing our views on free will and moral responsibility; whether patients should always be told that they are at future risk for neurological diseases; if erasing unconscious emotional memories implicated in depression can go too far; if forcing behavior-modifying drugs or surgery on violent offenders can ever be justified; the implications of drugs that enhance cognitive abilities; and how to define brain death and the criteria for the withdrawal of life-support. While not exhaustive, Glannons work addresses a wide range of fascinating issues and his pathbreaking work should appeal to philosophers, psychiatrists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, psychologists, and bioethicists.
Synopsis
Our ability to map and intervene in the structure of the human brain is proceeding at a very quick rate. Advances in psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery have given us fresh insights into the neurobiological basis of human thought and behavior. Technologies like MRI and PET scans can detect early signs of psychiatric disorders before they manifest symptoms. Electrical and magnetic stimulation of the brain can non-invasively relieve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and other conditions resistant to treatment, while implanting neuro-electrodes can help patients with Parkinsons and other motor control-related diseases. New drugs can help regenerate neuronal connections otherwise disrupted by schizophrenia and similar diseases.
All these procedures and drugs alter the neural correlates of our mind and raise fascinating and important ethical questions about their benefits and harms. They are, in a sense, among the most profound bioethical questions we face, since these techniques can touch on the deepest aspects of the human mind: free will; personal identity; the self; and the soul. This is the first single-author book on what has come to be known as neuroethics. Walter Glannon uses a philosophical framework that is fully informed by cutting edge neuroscience as well as contemporary legal cases such as Terri Schiavo, to offer readers an introduction to this fascinating topic. He starts by describing the state of the art in neuroscientific research and treatment, and gives the reader an up-to-date picture of the brain. Glannon then looks at the ethical implications of various kinds of treatments, such as: whether or not brain imaging will end up changing our views on free will and moral responsibility; whether patients should always be told that they are at future risk for neurological diseases; if erasing unconscious emotional memories implicated in depression can go too far; if forcing behavior-modifying drugs or surgery on violent offenders can ever be justified; the implications of drugs that enhance cognitive abilities; and how to define brain death and the criteria for the withdrawal of life-support. While not exhaustive, Glannons work addresses a wide range of fascinating issues and his pathbreaking work should appeal to philosophers, psychiatrists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, psychologists, and bioethicists.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:James M. DuBois, PhD, DSc(Saint Louis University)
Description:The author describes this book as "an integrated investigation of some of the ethical issues that have emerged and will continue to emerge as a result of our ability to map, monitor, and intervene in the human brain.
Purpose:The book examines ethical questions (about benefits, harms, and responsibility) and philosophical questions (about free will, personal identity, and the self) that arise from neurological research and interventions. The relevant chapters engage recent empirical research in clinical neuroscience, avoiding what the author describes as the thought experiments (involving brains in vats and zombies) that are the stock in trade for many philosophers but have little to do with actual problems we face. At the same time, the author acknowledges that although the ethical issues he examines have important implications for law, social science, and public policy, his main concern is with the philosophical aspects of these issues.
Audience:The book targets philosophers, psychiatrists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, psychologists, and bioethicists. However, given the author's focus on philosophical rather than policy issues, it is likely that only psychiatrists, neurosurgeons, psychologists, and radiologists with a genuine philosophical interest in neuroethics will find the book suitable. Moreover, its basic diagrams and descriptions of neurons and the nervous system suggest that philosophers or individuals with little background in neurology are the primary audience.
Features:Once past the first two chapters which provide theoretical and scientific foundations, the book examines four clusters of applied topics: neuroimaging (Chapter 3), pharmacological and psychological interventions (Chapter 4), neurosurgery and stimulation (Chapter 5), and so-called "brain death" or neurological criteria for determining death. To a large extent, the book trades depth for breadth. For example, in one chapter it tackles the science and ethics of a wide variety of drugs used to treat addictions, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, painful memories, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia, alongside discussions of the use of placebos, decision-making capacity, cognitive enhancement, and universal access to medications. Fortunately, the 71 footnotes in this chapter provide references to articles that explore some of these topics in greater detail.
Assessment:This book is an important contribution to the bourgeoning field of neuroethics. While its scope sometimes requires very brief treatments of complex subjects and it does not consistently explore the practical implications of its positions (e.g., on the determination of death), it provides an excellent and clearly written overview of topics pertaining to its title, Bioethics and the Brain.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: James M. DuBois, PhD, DSc(Saint Louis University)Description: The author describes this book as "an integrated investigation of some of the ethical issues that have emerged and will continue to emerge as a result of our ability to map, monitor, and intervene in the human brain."
Purpose: "The book examines ethical questions (about benefits, harms, and responsibility) and philosophical questions (about free will, personal identity, and the self) that arise from neurological research and interventions. The relevant chapters engage recent empirical research in clinical neuroscience, avoiding what the author describes as the thought experiments (involving brains in vats and zombies) that are the stock in trade for many philosophers but have little to do with actual problems we face. At the same time, the author acknowledges that although the ethical issues he examines have important implications for law, social science, and public policy, his main concern is with the philosophical aspects of these issues. "
Audience: The book targets philosophers, psychiatrists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, psychologists, and bioethicists. However, given the author's focus on philosophical rather than policy issues, it is likely that only psychiatrists, neurosurgeons, psychologists, and radiologists with a genuine philosophical interest in neuroethics will find the book suitable. Moreover, its basic diagrams and descriptions of neurons and the nervous system suggest that philosophers or individuals with little background in neurology are the primary audience.
Features: Once past the first two chapters which provide theoretical and scientific foundations, the book examines four clusters of applied topics: neuroimaging (Chapter 3), pharmacological and psychological interventions (Chapter 4), neurosurgery and stimulation (Chapter 5), and so-called "brain death" or neurological criteria for determining death. To a large extent, the book trades depth for breadth. For example, in one chapter it tackles the science and ethics of a wide variety of drugs used to treat addictions, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, painful memories, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia, alongside discussions of the use of placebos, decision-making capacity, cognitive enhancement, and universal access to medications. Fortunately, the 71 footnotes in this chapter provide references to articles that explore some of these topics in greater detail.
Assessment: This book is an important contribution to the bourgeoning field of neuroethics. While its scope sometimes requires very brief treatments of complex subjects and it does not consistently explore the practical implications of its positions (e.g., on the determination of death), it provides an excellent and clearly written overview of topics pertaining to its title, Bioethics and the Brain.