Neurophilosophy as the Foundation of Neuroethics

Summary

Neurophilosophy provides an essential foundation for neuroethics by synthesizing neuroscience data with classical philosophical concepts, enabling ethical assessment of neurotechnologies like implants, deep brain stimulation, and neuromarketing. It protects human dignity by preventing reduction of consciousness to neural correlates, developing criteria for personality authenticity in neuromodulations, and identifying limitations of neuroimaging. Critical risks include exploitation of neural vulnerabilities, loss of neural data confidentiality, and manipulation of decision-making. Without neurophilosophical reflection, neuroethics risks legitimizing practices that threaten autonomy and identity.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The article substantiates the key role of neurophilosophy in the formation of the method­ological basis of neuroethics, the discipline responsible for the ethical assessment of neu­rotechnologies (implants, deep brain stimulation, neuromarketing). The author demonstrates that the neurophilosophical synthesis of neuroscience data with classical philosophical con­cepts creates the necessary framework for analyzing the challenges associated with brain in­tervention. It is shown that neurophilosophy, with the necessary epistemological skepticism, opens up opportunities for protecting human dignity: it prevents the reduction of conscious­ness to neurocorrelates, develops criteria for personality authenticity in neuromodulations, and also identifies fundamental limitations of neuroimaging. At the same time, the spread of neurotechnologies generates critical risks: the exploitation of neural vulnerabilities for commercial purposes, the loss of confidentiality of neural data and freedom of choice when influencing decision-making. Special attention is paid to the need for neurophilosophical re­flection to overcome key problems: ignoring subjective experience (qualia) in neurointerac­tions, manipulation of behavior through triggers of fear and shame, as well as incorrect in­terpretation of neuroscientific data. Without such a foundation, neuroethics is unable to ade­quately assess the ethical implications of technology, risking legitimizing practices that threaten human autonomy and identity.

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