The Human Sciences after the Decade of the Brain

Part I: Prospects and Limitations of Neuroscience Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Chapter 1. Neurophilosophy or Philosophy of Neuroscience? What Neuroscience and Philosophy Can and Cannot Do for Each Other

• Abstract
• Introduction
• What is the Philosophy of Neuroscience?
• Neurophilosophy: How to Combine Neuroscientific Findings with Philosophical Theory
• Neurophilosophy in Action: Personal Identity and Memory Research
• What Neuroscience and Philosophy Can and Cannot Do for Each Other
• References

Chapter 2. Philosophical Puzzles Evade Empirical Evidence: Some Thoughts and Clarifications Regarding the Relation Between Brain Sciences and Philosophy of Mind

• Abstract
• Philosophy-to-Science: Ethics, Logic, Terminology, and Clarity
• Science-to-Philosophy: Can Scientific Data Settle Philosophical Debates?
• Conclusion
• References

Chapter 3. “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Neuroscience?” Neuroscience’s Impact on Our Notions of Self and Free Will

• Abstract
• Introduction
• The Promises and Perils of Neuroscience
• The Selves of Neuroscience and Our Selves
• Conclusion
• References

Chapter 4. Free Will—Between Philosophy and Neuroscience

• Abstract
• Free Will and Philosophy
• Free Will and Neuroscience—Libet’s Approach
• Free Will and Neuroscience—Tse’s Approach
• Conclusions and Further Research
• References

Chapter 5. Histories of the Brain: Toward a Critical Interaction of the Humanities and Neurosciences

• Abstract
• On the History of Neurosciences, the Old-Fashioned Way
• On Neurohistory, or on Making History After the Neuro-turn
• Toward a Critical History of the Neuro-turn, or “Plasticity and its Discontents”
• References

Part II: The Neurosciences of Social Sciences and Ethics

Chapter 6. The Theory of Brain-Sign: A New Model of Brain Operation

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Background on Brain-Sign Theory
• An Overview of Brain-Sign Theory
• Some Notes on Neural Functioning
• The Human Sciences after Brain-Sign Theory
• References

Chapter 7. On the Redundancies of “Social Agency”

• Abstract
• Introduction
• There Is No Such Thing as Social Agency
• Potential Criticisms
• Empirical Evidence for Agency and Against Social Agency
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• References

Chapter 8. Two Kinds of Reverse Inference in Cognitive Neuroscience

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Location-Based Reverse Inference
• LRI: General Problems and Limitations
• Pattern-Based Reverse Inference
• Conclusion
• References

Chapter 9. The Neuroscience of Ethics Beyond the Is-Ought Orthodoxy: The Example of the Dual Process Theory of Moral Judgment

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Part One: Is-Ought Orthodoxy
• Part Two: Neuroscience of Ethics Beyond the “Is-Ought” Problem
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• References

Part III: The Neurosciences in Society. Social, Cultural, and Ethical Implications of the Neuro-Turn

Chapter 10. Effects of the Neuro-Turn: The Neural Network as a Paradigm for Human Self-Understanding

• Abstract
• Introduction
• The Neuro-Turn in the Sciences
• New Self-Concepts and Their Ontological Underpinnings
• Computing Life
• Representations of the Neural Net in Cinematic Narratives
• Closing Remarks
• References

Chapter 11. Brain, Art, Salvation. On the Traditional Character of the Neuro-Hype

• Abstract
• Introduction: Some Theses about the Character of Neurologization
• Incorrect Use of Language and the Academic Criticism Thereof
• Invading Society: Neuro-Art for Instance
• Neuro-Philosophy and its Metaphysics
• Neurologization and the European Search for Salvation
• On Applied Ethics and the Background of the Given Interpretations
• References

Chapter 12. “A Mind Plague on Both Your Houses”: Imagining the Impact of the Neuro-Turn on the Neurosciences

• Abstract
• Setting the Stage: Definitions and Scope
• Case Study: 2012–13 Backlash
• Case Study: An Open Letter to the Human Brain Project
• What’s at Stake and for Whom? Translation, Reputation, and Marketability
• References

Chapter 13. Being a Good External Frontal Lobe: Parenting Teenage Brains

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Teen Brain Plasticity and the Maturing Prefrontal Cortex Thesis
• Acting as an External Frontal Lobe: Two Moral Repertoires of Parenting Teenage Brains
• Parenting Turmoil: The Teenage Brain and Ideals of Good Parenting
• Conclusion: Popular Neuroscience as Ethics Through Different Means
• References

Chapter 14. Toward Neuroscience Literacy?—Theoretical and Practical Considerations

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Considerations on the Conceptualization of Neuroscience Literacy
• An Educational Gap
• Considering Teachers’ Literacy
• Science Education in Biology Classrooms Through “Everyday Myths”
• Conclusion
• References

Chapter 15. “Strangers” in Neuroscientific Research

• Abstract
• Introduction
• The Human Brain Project
• Challenges
• Addressing the Challenges
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• References

Chapter 16. At the Push of a Button, Narrative Strategies and the Image of Deep Brain Stimulation

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Putting DBS in Place
• “At the Push of a Button”: Switching DBS on and Off for Observation
• The Metaphorical Meanings of On and Off
• A Good Story Needs a Plot Point
• “And This Works, Like That, Instantly”
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• References