Hardwired Behavior
What Neuroscience Reveals about Morality

This book explores the impact of neuroscience research over the past 20 or more years on brain function as it affects moral decisions.

Laurence Tancredi (Author)

9780521860017, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 September 2005

240 pages
23.7 x 15.8 x 2.3 cm, 0.543 kg

'The book's strength lies in its accessibility: the author clearly describes neural systems that contribute to moral behavior, and then relates those systems to illustrative clinical cases. The writing style and topics are at exactly the right level to excite and fascinate undergraduates, especially those from a non-neuroscience background. Highly recommended.' Choice

This book explores the impact of neuroscience research over the past 20 or more years on brain function as it affects moral decisions. Findings show that the mind and brain are very close, if not the same, and that the brain 'makes' the mind. This is bringing about a change of focus from examining mental activity (mentalism) to the physical activity of the brain (physicalism) to understand thinking and behavior. We are discovering that the physical features of the brain play the major role in shaping our thoughts and emotions, including the way we deal with 'moral' issues. This book sets out the historical framework of the transition from 'mentalism' to 'physicalism', shows how the physical brain works in moral decisions and then examines three broad areas of moral decision-making - the brain in 'bad' acts, the brain in decisions involving sexual relations, and the brain in money decision-making.

Acknowledgements
Preface
1. Neuroscience and morality
2. Morality and the mind
3. Beyond the mind zone
4. Morality and the brain
5. Bad without conscience
6. Biology of choice
7. Sex and the single moral code
8. Brain biology and sex
9. Deception
10. The biology of money
11. The bad and the mad
12. Creating a moral brain
Glossary
Notes
Index.

Subject Areas: Neurosciences [PSAN], Life sciences: general issues [PSA], Physiology [MFG]