Neuroscience and Ethics

Experimental Psychology
S Matthew Liao

Abstract

A number of people believe that results from neuroscience have the potential to settle seemingly intractable debates concerning the nature, practice, and reliability of moral judgments. In particular, Joshua Greene has argued that evidence from neuroscience can be used to advance the long-standing debate between consequentialism and deontology. This paper first argues that charitably interpreted, Greene's neuroscientific evidence can contribute to substantive ethical discussions by being part of an epistemic debunking argument. It then argues that taken as an epistemic debunking argument, Greene's argument falls short in undermining deontological judgments. Lastly, it proposes that accepting Greene's methodology at face value, neuroimaging results may in fact call into question the reliability of consequentialist judgments. The upshot is that Greene's empirical results do not undermine deontology and that Greene's project points toward a way by which empirical evidence such as neuroscientific evidence can play a role in normative debates.

References

Sep 15, 2001·Science·J D GreeneJ D Cohen
Oct 12, 2004·Neuron·Joshua D GreeneJonathan D Cohen
Sep 27, 2005·Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology : the Journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology·S Rowlands
Oct 8, 2005·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Cass R Sunstein
Dec 13, 2005·Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology : Official Journal of the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology·Mario F MendezJill S Shapira
Jun 15, 2006·Psychological Science·Piercarlo Valdesolo, David DeSteno
Jan 26, 2007·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Michael Koenigs, Daniel Tranel
Mar 23, 2007·Nature·Michael KoenigsAntonio Damasio
Feb 19, 2008·Journal of Physiology, Paris·James Woodward, John Allman
Nov 6, 2008·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Elisa CiaramelliGiuseppe di Pellegrino
Jul 20, 2011·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Michael KoenigsJoseph P Newman
Mar 7, 2012·Journal of Abnormal Psychology·Liane YoungJoseph P Newman
Jun 13, 2012·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Ezequiel GleichgerrchtFacundo Manes
Jan 2, 2013·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Stéphane CôtéRobb Willer
Jan 2, 2013·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Paul Conway, Bertram Gawronski

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Citations

May 13, 2017·Experimental Psychology·Alex Wiegmann, Magda Osman
May 1, 2021·Biomedicines·Hidetoshi KomatsuMamoru Fukuchi

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