Neuroethics and Responsible Research & Innovation

Drawing from the brain sciences, philosophy of mind, ethics, and the social sciences, neuroethics aims to provide answers to some of the ethical issues raised by the transfer of brain knowledge to various contexts, including medicine, law, philosophy, and health and social policy.

Since its appearance as an organized field, neuroethics has taken different forms according to the methodological approaches used and the topics addressed. In their research, Kathinka Evers, Michele Farisco, and Arleen Salles identify three main methodological approaches of contemporary neuroethics, namely neurobioethics, empirical neuroethics, and conceptual neuroethics.

The general aim of this project is to broaden the field of neuroethics and contribute to the ongoing discussion on the nature of the field. In particular, the aims are to identify and characterize the main features of a particular conceptual approach, ”fundamental neuroethics”, to show the relevance of this approach for both the empirical and human sciences; and to show the need for foundational reflection when engaging in any kind of neuroethical discussion. Furthermore, we have been using our neuroethical approach to enhance extant Responsible Research and Innovation frameworks.

Contact & more information

• Kathinka Evers, PhD, Senior Researcher
• Arleen Salles, PhD, Senior Researcher
• Michele Farisco, PhD, Post-Doc Researcher