Patricia Churchland reviews Michael Gazzaniga’s new book The Ethical Brain.
Churchland takes issue with Gazzaniga’s attempt to segregate Neuroscience from Law. Churchland provides several examples where the brain structure of a defendent made measure on their case. For instance, she discusses the case of a man who’s interest in child pornography waxed and waned with the size of the tumor in his prefrontal lobe.
The review includes some colorful background on ulterior issues:
Some philosophers — usually called libertarians — resolutely believe that voluntary decisions actually are created by the will, free of causal antecedents. Like flat-earthers and creationists, libertarians glorify their scientific naivete by labeling it transcendental insight.
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We’ll be discussing ethical Brain on BookTalk.org during the last quarter of 2005, and then inviting the author to a live chat session with us.