The Ethical Brain (Relié)

The Study Of The Brain is the 21st century's hottest subject not only in science but also in philosophy. If, as science now tells us, we are nothing more than robots controlled by a chemical analog computer called the brain, where does that leave such quaint notions as ethical behavior ? Who better to say than one of the two most brilliant experimental neuroscientists in the world, Michael Gazzaniga ? This is a provocative and highly readable book. -Tom Wolfe. If it were possible for this book to have been written a couple of thousand years ago, we might have avoided a lot of misery. What an important question it raises : What is known about the brain that can guide us in forming a set of rational ethical principles ? The great frontier before us is the question of how we will deal with one another, and this fascinating book gets us on our way. -Alan Alda. Michael Gazzaniga is one of the country's pre-eminent brain scientists and a keen observer of much about human behavior. This is a witty, well written, highly informed account of how our brain forms our beliefs and how we can determine what beliefs serve us best. -Robert Bazell, chief health and science correspondent, NBC News. Wonderfully nourishing food for thought. Gazzaniga tackles some of the toughest ethical issues of our time with vigor, intelligence, and insight. -Diane Ackerman, author of A Natural History of the Senses. When does life begin ? When does it end ? Is there a universal morality ? Michael Gazzaniga, a world leader in cognitive neuroscience and its only member on the president's committee on ethics, gives us the scientific data behind these fundamental questions. His exciting book provides new insights for researchers and all of us on brain research and ethical issues. -Michael Posner, University of Oregon. Michael Gazzaniga, a pioneer of cognitive neuroscience, bas written a compelling, accessible, and opinionated book that illuminates the profound issues that arise when modern neuroscience intersects with the concerns of ethics, religion, and public policy. -Steven E. Hyman, Provost, Harvard University.