Brains, Identity, and Moral Agency
GENED 1064
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Can we reconcile the scientific 'brain as a machine' view with our strong experience of moral agency?
Advances in brain science have the potential to diminish many forms of human suffering and disability that are rooted in disordered brain function. But what are the ethical implications involved in altering the structure and function of human brains? What’s at stake when we have the ability to alter a person’s narrative identity, create brain-computer interfaces, and manipulate social and moral emotion? In this course, you will ask and attempt to answer these questions, and discuss the implications of mechanistic explanations of decision-making and action for widely-held concepts of moral agency and legal culpability. This course will prepare you to be a thoughtful citizen of a world characterized by rapidly emerging understandings of human brain function, and by new technologies intended to repair or influence human brains.
Class Notes
Sectioning for this course will take place during after registration closes. Once you have enrolled in the course and the placeholder (“DIS”) section, please rank your section preferences by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 20. To do this, click on the cog icon next to the Gen Ed course in your Crimson Cart. You will then be prompted to rank the section times. Once we have your ranking, we will do our best to find you a seat in your highest-ranked available section.
Instructions on how to rank sections can be found here: https://harvard.service-now.com/ithelp?id=kb_article&sys_id=3f5cdb41dbfd4bc4a752f1a51d9619a1
If none of the times work for you, you are welcome to not set any preferences and remain in the placeholder for the time being. However, please note that if enrollment does not significantly change during Add/Drop, no additional sections will be added and you will ultimately need to enroll in an available section or drop the course.
Recommended Prep
LPS A or LS 1a, a 4 or 5 on the AP Biology exam, or equivalent experience in biology
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
NOTE: This course requires additional sections; you will be prompted to choose secondary components during the Add to Cart process
