Brain, Body, and Mind: Neuroethics with a Human Face

by Walter Glannon

This book is a discussion of the most timely and contentious issues in the two branches of the neuroscience of ethics; and the ethics of neuroscience. Drawing upon recent work in psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery, it develops a phenomenologically inspired theory of neuroscience to explain the brain-mind relation. The idea that the mind is shaped not just by the brain but also by the body and how the human subject interacts with the environment has significant implications for free will, moral responsibility, and moral justification of actions. It also provides a better understanding of how different interventions in the brain can benefit or harm us. In addition, the book discusses brain imaging techniques to diagnose altered states of consciousness, deep-brain stimulation to treat neuropsychiatric disorders, and restorative neurosurgery for neurodegenerative diseases. It examines the medical and ethical trade-offs of these interventions in the brain when they
produce both positive and negative physical and psychological effects, and how these trade-offs shape decisions by physicians and patients about whether to provide and undergo them.

Genres: Philosophy

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Alice]

Walter Glannon's Brain, Body, and Mind offers a nuanced examination of the most pressing issues in neuroethics, bridging the neuroscience of ethics and the ethics of neuroscience. Drawing on recent work in psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery, Glannon develops a phenomenologically inspired framework for understanding the brain-mind relation.

The book's central argument is that the mind is shaped not only by the brain but also by the body and the human subject's interaction with the environment. This perspective has significant implications for how we understand free will, moral responsibility, and the justification of actions. It also provides a more complete framework for evaluating how different brain interventions can benefit or harm patients.

Glannon examines brain imaging for diagnosing altered consciousness, deep-brain stimulation for neuropsychiatric disorders, and restorative neurosurgery for neurodegenerative diseases. He carefully considers the medical and ethical trade offs when interventions produce both positive and negative effects and how these trade-offs shape decisions by physicians and patients.

For anyone interested in the ethical dimensions of neuroscience, this book offers a thoughtful, balanced, and clinically informed perspective.