"The Ethical Brain" by Michael Gazzaniga

Michael Gazzaniga's new book, "The Ethical Brain," is now available.  Today's NYT describes the book here as follows:

These two experiences, as veteran neuroscientist and fledgling bioethicist, have come together in a new book by Dr. Gazzaniga called "The Ethical Brain." In it, Dr. Gazzaniga argues that understanding the latest developments in neuroscience is essential for the public to make sound decisions about the promise and dangers of advances in medicine. Neuroscience is even shedding light on how moral beliefs take shape in our brain.

"If people learn more about what the underlying brain story is, I think it will help them think more clearly about the situation," Dr. Gazzaniga said in an interview at his Dartmouth office.

The story also describes some of Gazzaniga's experiences as a member of the President's Council on Bioethics:

In December 2001, Dr. Gazzaniga was invited to join the bioethics council by Dr. Leon Kass, its current chairman. "I said, 'I don't know anything about bioethics,' " Dr. Gazzaniga recalled. Dr. Kass assured him that the council wasn't supposed to be a group of bioethicists, and Dr. Gazzaniga agreed to join.

The council immediately took up the debate on stem cell research. Dr. Gazzaniga supports the cloning of cells to produce embryos that can be used to extract stem cells. Others on the council felt very differently. They argued that a fertilized human egg represented a potential unique individual and that creating such eggs solely for research was wrong.

Dr. Gazzaniga is quick to point out that his differences with other council members were strictly intellectual. "There's no one I don't respect on the committee. They're all smart people," he said. "I heatedly disagree with some of them, but they're not lunatics."

Nevertheless, he did not shy from argument. At one meeting in 2002, Dr. Kass described his sense of awe at watching cells divide. "I countered him with, 'You ever see a tumor cell divide?' " Dr. Gazzaniga said. "It's also pretty miraculous event, but all it does is fill you up with rage. You can look at it in two different ways."

Dr. Gazzaniga argues that it is meaningless to call a fertilized egg a potential human being. "There's potential for 30 homes in a Home Depot, but if the Home Depot burns down, the headline isn't '30 Homes Burn Down.' It's 'Home Depot Burns Down,' " Dr. Gazzaniga said.

Comments

[Chris O'Connor]

We'll be discussing "Ethical Brain" on BookTalk.org during Q4, 2005. Come on by and get involved! We'll be asking the author to join us in the BookTalk chat room.

Chris

[Al Natole]

I had the chance to review the "Ethical Brain" and listen to the author on Charlie Rose on PBS. Part of the discussion was on his reference in the book to there being no valid argument to a defense of mental illness in criminal cases and that the brain cannot force us to do something we don't want to do, as he puts it, the body can be controlled but there is always a free mind.

I take strong issue with this, as, like others in his field, there is little or no experience with postictle repsonse and TLE psychosis. His industry does not wish to admit that the condition exists and recognize its potential impact.

I am a male, but I know that post-pardum depression exists! It is a real condition, however rare. It exists. Until one experiences a clinical psychosis like that, they cannot relate to it and are in error.

I would like to get that feedback in the authors hands in order to help him grow, learn and move forward with a better, realistic and unbiased understanding of what truly can take place in the brain and affect presumed ethics. Sometimes these things are not in our control.

Thank you.

[AltaGid]

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