The Ethical Brain
http://www.100md.com
《新英格兰医药杂志》
The 1990s, officially dubbed "the decade of the brain," paved the way for an ever more intense examination of the implications of brain research. An important result is the rise of neuroethics, the subfield of both neuroscience and bioethics that considers ethical issues that have a unique or primary association with neuroscience research and its applications, as well as the neurobiologic basis of moral and ethical behavior. With new developments in neuroscience, such as neurogenetics, brain imaging, and neuropharmacology, myriad ethical issues have become apparent. For example, potential therapy for progressive memory loss, as in Alzheimer's disease, might also be effective in memory enhancement in normal persons, requiring a different risk–benefit analysis and prompting questions about the allocation of scarce resources. The possibility of monitoring brain activity highlights the ill-defined relationship between brain activity and mental activity as well as issues regarding personal privacy and public safety. The elucidation of neurobiologic dysfunction may challenge commonly held notions of moral and legal responsibility.
Michael Gazzaniga, who serves on the President's Council on Bioethics, has written a lively and generally accessible book in which he explores many of the hot topics in neuroethics from his viewpoint as an established neuroscientist. He considers moral status at the beginning and end of life, the possibilities for brain enhancement, and the relationship between brain function and free will and its implications for personal and legal responsibility. He also reflects on the possible effect of neuroscience research on moral belief systems and the notion of universal ethics.
The Ethical Brain reflects a commonsense view of neuroscience and the world that, unfortunately, may be a bit too facile and lacking in awareness of the values embedded in the science itself. Although Gazzaniga is clear and candid about his own beliefs, he is less clear about where his value system and assumptions govern the conclusions he ostensibly draws from the science. For example, he approaches the issues raised by cloning and stem-cell research and the problems associated with assessing consciousness, brain death, and deterioration in mental function as a result of aging solely in terms of mental activity. Yet moral status is not universally accepted as dependent on mental activity. Gazzaniga incorporates a clear presentation of the latest developments in neuroscience into his matter-of-fact and occasionally dismissive discussions of the ethical implications of the research.
The strengths of the book are the gems about neuroscience research, and research in general, that often go unstated and unrecognized in the rush to apply scientific findings to numerous social problems. For example, Gazzaniga points out that all drugs have side effects that are often undesirable, that correlation is not causation, and that the enhancement of sensory-motor efficiency or speed raises ethical issues that differ substantially from those associated with the modification of higher brain functions such as intelligence and memory. Especially valuable are points Gazzaniga raises that are well developed and on target in considering the implications of neuroscience for the criminal-justice system. He rightly emphasizes the fallibility of human memory and its misuse in eyewitness testimony, and he highlights the complexity of higher brain function and, because of that complexity, the potential for inappropriate application of measures of brain activity to detecting criminals or terrorists.
The Ethical Brain is both exciting and a bit disappointing. It is a spotty introduction to the rich and increasingly important fields of neuroscience and neuroethics, which merit careful, thoughtful, and thorough examination.
Stephanie J. Bird, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 02138
sjbird@mit.edu(By Michael S. Gazzaniga. )
Michael Gazzaniga, who serves on the President's Council on Bioethics, has written a lively and generally accessible book in which he explores many of the hot topics in neuroethics from his viewpoint as an established neuroscientist. He considers moral status at the beginning and end of life, the possibilities for brain enhancement, and the relationship between brain function and free will and its implications for personal and legal responsibility. He also reflects on the possible effect of neuroscience research on moral belief systems and the notion of universal ethics.
The Ethical Brain reflects a commonsense view of neuroscience and the world that, unfortunately, may be a bit too facile and lacking in awareness of the values embedded in the science itself. Although Gazzaniga is clear and candid about his own beliefs, he is less clear about where his value system and assumptions govern the conclusions he ostensibly draws from the science. For example, he approaches the issues raised by cloning and stem-cell research and the problems associated with assessing consciousness, brain death, and deterioration in mental function as a result of aging solely in terms of mental activity. Yet moral status is not universally accepted as dependent on mental activity. Gazzaniga incorporates a clear presentation of the latest developments in neuroscience into his matter-of-fact and occasionally dismissive discussions of the ethical implications of the research.
The strengths of the book are the gems about neuroscience research, and research in general, that often go unstated and unrecognized in the rush to apply scientific findings to numerous social problems. For example, Gazzaniga points out that all drugs have side effects that are often undesirable, that correlation is not causation, and that the enhancement of sensory-motor efficiency or speed raises ethical issues that differ substantially from those associated with the modification of higher brain functions such as intelligence and memory. Especially valuable are points Gazzaniga raises that are well developed and on target in considering the implications of neuroscience for the criminal-justice system. He rightly emphasizes the fallibility of human memory and its misuse in eyewitness testimony, and he highlights the complexity of higher brain function and, because of that complexity, the potential for inappropriate application of measures of brain activity to detecting criminals or terrorists.
The Ethical Brain is both exciting and a bit disappointing. It is a spotty introduction to the rich and increasingly important fields of neuroscience and neuroethics, which merit careful, thoughtful, and thorough examination.
Stephanie J. Bird, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 02138
sjbird@mit.edu(By Michael S. Gazzaniga. )