Friday, November 4, 2011
Neuromania? The possibilities and pitfalls of our fascination with brains
Neuro-aesthetics, neuro-evolutionary literary cricitism, neuro-ethics, neuro-law and neuro-theology - has the cult of ‘neuromania’ left us with a hollow, reductive account of human nature? Are we just a bunch of neurons firing in some soft tissue? Is society just a bunch of brains interacting? Can fMRI scans explain love, creativity, altruism, evil and religious beliefs?
Philosopher and author Raymond Tallis and Matthew Taylor debate the competing claims made for the ability of neuroscience to explain human behaviour, culture and society.
FULL AUDIO with Raymond Tallis here.
See also "Raymond Tallis Takes Out the 'NeuroTrash," The Chronicle Review
Labels: naturalism, neuromania, philosophy of mind, raymond tallis, reductionism
