Neuroscience of Ethics

This chapter demonstrates the relevance of empirical findings for issues in the neuroscience of ethics and the ethics of neuroscience. It explores how data clearly shows that the brain's neuronal activity aligns to its ecological context, implying a relational and spatio-temporal model of brains. The chapter examines the concept of self in a neurorelational way, on the premise that the self as the basis of agency cannot be reduced to the brain, but instead to the relationship between the external world and the brain. It discusses the issue of self-enhancement in the context of deep brain stimulation. Most importantly, the extension of the spatio-temporal structure beyond the brain and body to the world signifies spontaneous activity as intrinsically neuro-ecological and relational, also entailing a non-reductionistic view of the brain. Deep brain stimulation is a potential form of treatment for severe forms of conditions such as anorexia nervosa, major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.