Neuroscience and Society: The Interface of Neuroscience and the Social Sciences

Advances in neuroscience research are rapidly redefining what it means to be human. The absence of the brain/mind dichotomy has, in turn, removed the separation between our brain biology and our sociocultural experiences, raising questions for social sciences to address. How responsible are we, as individuals, for our actions? Do we have free will? Is it ethical for us to peer into others’ brains? How are our collective social cultural norms influenced by our brain function? At the same time, neuroscientists need to develop better intuition about the ethical, legal, and social implications of their research. Close collaboration between neuroscience and social sciences is the best way forward.This book acts as an introduction to these and other issues that lie at the interface of neuroscience and social sciences, using the physiological underpinnings of our decision-making processes as a framework. Examples of topics addressed here are: Neuroscience and economics Neuroscience and law Neuroscience and ethics Neuroscience and mental health Neuroscience of religion and humour The book is intended for students of neuroscience and social sciences, as well as readers generally interested in the human condition. It is hoped that the book will stimulate cross-disciplinary thinking and inspire a new generation of thinkers who are willing to look at both social sciences and neuroscience research with a different lens. Such bridge builders will be the pioneers of the next level of interrogation at this emerging interface.

About the Author

Dr. Sukumar Vijayaraghavan is an neuroscientist and professor at the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine. He has wide-ranging interests from synaptic transmission, olfaction, and drug addiction to graduate education and the interaction between neuroscience and social sciences.

Dr. Gidon Felsen is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms of decisions and actions under normal and pathological conditions and on how neuroscience can inform societally relevant questions.