The Hastings Center The World of Bioethics Seminar Friday, December 4, 2009 Neuroethics: Two traditions at the intersection of mind, meaning and morality Presented by: James Giordano Since 2002, neuroethics has come to include two sorts of research: the first relating to the neurological basis of moral knowledge, sense and actions, and the second referring to the ethics of neuroscientific research and applications. This lecture will address both of these traditions and their relation to one another. It will ground neuroethics in the hard questions of neuroscience, and the problems that arise when we must rely on partial or contingent knowledge.

1. a nonpartisan research institution dedicated to bioethics and the public interest since 1969
the world of bioethics seminar
Neuroethics: Two Traditions at the Intersection
of Mind, Meaning and Morality
Presented by James Giordano
December 4, 2009

2. Neuroethics: Two Traditions at
the Intersection of Mind,
Meaning and Morality…from
the Cave to the Crest
James Giordano, Ph.D.
Center for Neurotechnology Studies
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Arlington, VA, USA
And
Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics and Uehiro Centre for Practical
Philosophy
University of Oxford, UK
the world of bioethics seminar

3. Definitions
 Neuro: about or in reference to the structure or
function of nervous systems
 Ethics: systematic study of the processes and
basis of moral decision making
 Neuroethics:
1) the study of the neural basis of morality
(and ethics)
2) the ethical issues, questions and
problems that arise in and from
neuroscientific research and its applications.
the world of bioethics seminar

4. Neuroscience…
 Has made huge and rapid leaps by
using technology to study and
understand neural structure and
function.
•96-99% fiscal devotion to RDTE
 Ethical, legal and social risk
assessment tends to lag behind,
and is reactive vs. proactive
•1-4% fiscal devotion
the world of bioethics seminar

5. Neuroethics
Conjoins the major tasks of philosophy:
1. Epistemic
2. Anthropologic
3. Ethical
… to (a) foster neuroscience qua
science
(b) bridge technical capability and
moral consideration
(c) bridge past to present to
future
the world of bioethics seminar

6. From Philosophy:
The Hard Questions
 Addressing the “hard questions” of
neuroscience and neurophilosophy
•What is consciousness?
•What is the mind?
•What is/ is there a “self”?
the world of bioethics seminar

7. Engaging Science:
The Hardware- Program Questions
1) If something has the “hardware”,
does that mean it can run the
“program”
2) How does the “program” affect the
“hardware”
3) What makes “you” - YOU?
• Genes?
• Brain?
• Mind?
the world of bioethics seminar

8. The “Ethical Turn”:
What is the “Good”?
How do these constructs impact
scope and nature of research
1. Technologic applications
2. Use of pharmacology
3. Transplantation
4. Genomics
the world of bioethics seminar

9. Ethico-legal Concerns: Because We
Can Do Something, Should We?
 Research
• How “far” should we study what it means to
“be” a mind?
 Technology
• Should we link brains/minds to machines?
 Drugs?
• Treatment or enhancement?
 Cyborgs?
• Databanking mental function, silicon selves, moral status
 Transplantation/stem cells
• Moral status questions
• How much is too much?
 Genomics/xenochimeroplasty
• What might we make?
the world of bioethics seminar

10. Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in
Intersection
The “million dollar question”…
“Who gets the goodies?”
 How do we address/resolve socio-cultural
tension(s)?
 Based upon what criteria?
 What system of commutative or distributive
justice?
 What economic paradigm?
the world of bioethics seminar

11. The Pros and Cons
 Pro:
• A natural need to “know” and intervene inherent to
“human flourishing”
“Inquiry and action is both right and good”
 Con:
• Partial knowledge in areas of profound impact effect
broad and unforeseen consequences.
“There are intellectual and moral limits upon inquiry”
These need to be balanced…
the world of bioethics seminar

12. “Cognitive Crest”
 Propelled by progress
 Position determines vision
 Views of potential futures
 Responsible for “surfing the
wave” and determining “our
directions”
the world of bioethics seminar

13. “Surfing the Cognitive Crest”
Obligates acknowledgement of
 Trajectory
 Potential Impact
 Manifestations
 Limitations
Balancing Act (and “Skill”)…Tekne
the world of bioethics seminar

14. How?
1. Recognize
• (a) the ‘status quo is progress’,
• (b) boundaries and frontiers
• “…the new is always unpredictable”
2. Appreciate that conditions at the
boundaries/frontiers may be ‘different’
• Wexelblatt’s Law: “Nature has a nasty sense of humor”
3. Weigh and balance optimism, pessimism
and pragmatism
the world of bioethics seminar

15. Establish Groundwork
Questions
1. What are the risks (known and possible)?
2. Are there unique ethical, legal, social
issues?
3. What risk-analyses and ethical
assessments can be used?
4. How do (novel) situations militate which
risk-analyses and ethical approaches
should be used?
Ethics = formal, systematized approach
Situations = application = variable
the world of bioethics seminar

16. Risk- and Ethical Management Paradigm
4Ps:
 Precautionary
• acknowledging status quo involves progress
 Personnel
• perceptive
• pragmatic
• persistent
 Predictions
• possibilities
• paradoxes
• problems: containable, retrievable, reversible
and/or forgivable?
 Policies
the world of bioethics seminar

17. What NOT to do…
the world of bioethics seminar

18. “Where might we be going?”
the world of bioethics seminar

19. “Where might we find ourselves?”
the world of bioethics seminar

20. The Work of Neuroethics…
 Reflection, insight and moral pause
must be the stepping stone for all
future acts of inquiry, invention
and intervention…
 “Measure twice, cut once”, for all
too often, there is no turning back.
the world of bioethics seminar

21. Acknowledgements
 Funded in part by the Nour
Foundation, Office of Naval
Research, CTNS-STARS, and the
Potomac Institute for Policy
Studies
 Thanks to Sherry Loveless for
graphic artistry
the world of bioethics seminar

22. Selected Readings
 Giordano J. Pain: Mind, Meaning and Medicine. PPM
Communications, Glen Falls, PA 2009.
 Giordano J, Boswell MV (eds.) Pain Medicine: Philosophy,
Ethics, and Policy. Linton Atlantic Books, Oxon, UK, 2009.
 Giordano J, Gordijn B. (eds.) Scientific and Philosophical
Perspectives in Neuroethics. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, UK, 2009.
 Giordano J, Benedikter R. The future of humanity:
Biotechnology and the trans- and post-human possibilities.
J. Futures Studies (2009)
 Giordano J. The neuroscience of pain, and the neuroethics of
pain care. Neuroethics 2:1 (2009).
 Giordano J, McBride DK. Anticipating biotechnological trends
in pain care. Prac Pain Management 9(5): 74-78 (2009).
 Giordano J, Engebretson J, Benedikter R. Pain and culture:
Considerations for meaning and context. Cambridge
Quarterly Rev.Healthcare Ethics, 77: 45-59 (2008).
the world of bioethics seminar

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