NEUROETHICS
NBB 470S-000 Spring 2008
Tu & Th, 1:00-2:15 p.m., 1462 Clifton Rd., Room 231
Dr. Paul Lennard
1462 Clifton Road, Suite 304
prlenna@emory.edu
404-727-4958
Office hours by appointment
January 17
Introduction and Course Overview (JB)
January 22
Overview of Ethics (JB)
January 24
Overview of Neuroethics (PL)
January 29
The Self (PL)
January 31
February 5
Dr. John Banja
1462 Clifton Road, Suite 302
jbanja@emory.edu
404-712-4804
Office hours by appointment

Johnson SC et al. Neural correlates of self-reflection. Brain, 2002; 125:
1808-1814.

Miller BL, Seeley WW, Mychak P, Rosen HJ, Mena I, and Boone K.
Neuroanatomy of the self: Evidence from patients with frontotemporal
dementia. Neurology, 2001; 57:817-821.

Glannon W. Bioethics and the Brain. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2007: 29-44.
Free Will vs. Determination (JB)

Libet B. Do we have free will? Journal of Consciousness Studies, 1999;
6:47-57.

Wegner DM. Precis of The illusion of conscious will. Behavioral and Brain
Sciences, 2004;27:649-659.

Optional: “Aggression-related gene weakens brain’s impulse control circuits”
available at:
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aggression_Related_Gene_Weakens_Brain
s_Impulse_Control_Circuits.html.

Cahill L. His Brain, Her Brain. Scientific American.Com. April 25, 2005.
Neurolaw (JB/PL)

Tancredi L. Hardwired Behavior: What Neuroscience Reveals About
Morality. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005: 46 – 68 and
143 – 161.

Greely H. The social effects of advances in neuroscience: legal problems,
legal perspectives. In Judy Illes (Ed.), Neuroethics: Defining the issues in
theory, practice, and policy. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006:
245 – 263.
February 7
Genes on Trial (movie):
February 12
Brain Readings and Lie-Detection (PL/JB)
 Wolpe PR, Foster KR, Langleben DD. Emerging neurotechnologies for liedetection: Promises and Perils. AJOB, 2005; 5:39-49.

Ross P. Mind readers. Scientific American, Sept. 2003:74-77.

Langleben, DD et al. Brain activity during simulated deception: An eventrelated functional magnetic resonance study. NeuroImage, 2002; 15:727-732.

Optional: Canli T, Amin Z. Neuroimaging of emotion and personality:
Scientific evidence and ethical considerations. Brain and Cognition, 2002;
50:414-431.
February 14
Brain Readings and Lie-Detection (SP)
February 19
Mood Manipulation (JB/PL)

Glannon W. Bioethics and the Brain. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2007: 76 – 103.

President’s Advisory Council on Bioethics. Beyond Therapy. Available as
pdf. Chapter 5.
February 21
Mood Manipulation (SP)
February 26
Cognitive Enhancement (PL/JB)

Glannon W. Bioethics and the Brain. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2007: 103 – 115;

Murray T. Reflections on the ethics of genetic enhancement. Genetics in
Medicine, 2002; 4:27S-32S.

Sandel M. The case against perfection. The Atlantic Monthly, April 2004:
293: 50.
February 28
Cognitive Enhancement (SP)
March
Brain Stimulation and Neuroprostheses
4
 Foster K. Engineering the Brain. In Judy Illes (Ed.), Neuroethics: Defining the
issues in theory, practice, and policy. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2006: 185-199.
 Naam R. More than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological
Enhancement. Broadway Press, Chapters 9 & 10
March
6
Brain Stimulation and Neuroprostheses (SP)
March
11 & March 13: Spring Break
March
18
Privacy (PL/JB)

Kulynych J. Legal and ethical issues in neuroimaging research: human subjects
protection, medical privacy, and the public communication of research results.
Brain and Cognition, 2002; 50:345-357.

Goldberg C. Some fear loss of privacy as science pries into brain. At
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/neuro/brain_privacy.htm.

Gazzaniga M. The Ethical Brain. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2005:
103-119.Antisocial thoughts and the right to privacy

Fedder R. To know or not to know. The Journal of Legal Medicine, 2000:
21:557-592.
March
20
Privacy (SP)
March
25
Neuroeconomics – group discussion

Thompson C. There’s a sucker born in every medial prefrontal cortex. Oct. 26,
2003, Nytimes.com.
March
27
Neuroreligion – group discussion
April
1
Brain Death and Catastrophic Injuries (JB)

Glannon W. Bioethics and the Brain. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2007: 148-177.

Video: Coma: Four Case Studies. Films Media Group

Optional: Moll J, et al. Functional networks in emotional moral and nonmoral
social judgments. NeuroImage 2002: 16:696-703.
April
3
Brain Death and Catastrophic Injuries (SP)
April
8
Emotion and Reasoning (JB)

Damasio A. Descartes Error. New York: Avon Books, 1994: ………

Greene J, et al. An fMRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral
judgment. Science, 2001: 2105 – 2108.

Optional: Ochsner KN, et al. Rethinking feelings: an fMRI study of the
cognitive regulation of emotion. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience,
2002;14(8):1215-1229.
April
10
Emotion and Reasoning (SP)
April
15
Connectionism, Prototypes and Motivated Reasoning (JB)

Flanagan O. The moral network. In Robert McCauley (ed), The Churchlands
and Their Critics, 1996: 192-216.

Haidt J. The emotional dog and its rational tail: A social intuitionist approach
to moral judgment. Psychological Review, 2001, 108:814-834.

Optional: Redlawsk D. Hot cognition or cool consideration? Testing the
effects of motivated reasoning on political decision making. The Journal of
Politics, 2002: 64:1021 – 1044.

Clark A. Connectionism, moral cognition, and collaborative problem solving.
In Larry May, Marilyn Frideman, and Andy Clark. Minds and Morals.
Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1998: 109-128.

Kunda Z. The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin
April
17
Connectionism, Prototypes and Motivated Reasoning (SP)
April
22
Animal Ethics: Dr. Marino
April
24
Neuroethics: Lessons and New Directions (PL/JB)
Grading: 50% - Research paper; 5-7 pages of an expanded aspect of one of your oral
presentation
25% - March 18: Midterm exercise - (Three neuroethical issues; each of the three
papers is to be 100-150 words) Specifics: Court case or research finding
25% = Presentations and class room discussion