More Dispatches from the Post-Cartesian World: The Brain on the Stand

Posted on 3.19.2007

Still bringing you news from the frontlines of the post-Cartesian world!

Check out this March 11 article in the NY Times on the new issues facing moral responsibility posed by neurolaw: The Brain on the Stand.

I love the question posed toward the end of the article: In the future, can the police get a search warrant for someone's brian?

Or will your brain be protected under new "cognitive liberty" laws?

This entry was posted by Richard Beck. Bookmark the permalink.

2 thoughts on “More Dispatches from the Post-Cartesian World: The Brain on the Stand”

  1. Fascinating. I'm involved in a small project aimed at developing a type of catheter for use in the brain. Have colleagues back in Virginia who are the brain docs. Didn't know brain imaging was this advanced. These issues will have to be engaged. I'm bigger on treatment and prevention as opposed to punishment. Would certainly like clarification on how much of our "reason" is actually post-hoc rationalization as they mentioned.

  2. Hi Steve,
    The work on post hoc rationalization (consciousness as "reporter" rather than "actor") mainly comes from the experimental work of Libet and Wegner. See their respective books "Mind Time" and "The Illusion of Conscious Will." Malcolm Gladwell also has an interesting chapter on this (I believe the chapter is called "Behind the Locked Door") in his book "Blink."

Leave a Reply