Ethics of Neuroscience

Question 1

Intro. What is neuroscience?

Answer 1

Any treatment or research which examines the structure and function of the brain or nervous system

Question 2

1 Where has neuroscience been useful?

Answer 2

In the treatment of criminal behaviour

Question 3

1 What does criminal behaviour stem from?
Best treatment?

Answer 3

Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters/hormones - drugs could be used to ‘treat’ criminals by altering neurotransmitter/hormone levels

Question 4

1 What did Raine do?

Answer 4

Used brain scanning techniques on one particular group of criinals - individuals who had committed a murder and entered a plea of NGRI then compared results

Question 5

1 What did Raine’s study show?

Answer 5

Difference in brain activity between those who pleaded NGRI and the control group - people with this brain structure could be identified and given treatments so they dont commit crimes.

Question 5

1 Why is Raine’s study deterministic?

Answer 5

• Issues of moral responsibility for criminal behaviour
• Removes free will

Question 5

1 What did Raine find?

Answer 5

Reduced activity in the brains of NGRI ppts in areas where lowered activity had been linked to violence

Question 5

1 What can this study be seen as?

Answer 5

Ethical - reducing likelihood of offending and preventing future harm to society.

Question 6

2 What role does neuroscience ignore?

Answer 6

The role that environmental factors may play on the development of criminal behaviour

Question 7

2 What did Farah (2004) argue?

Answer 7

If courts use neurological interventions, it signals the denial of an individuals freedom to have their own personality and think their own thought, something thay even prisoners have not been denied perviously