Neuroethics and identity

Abstract

Identity is a concept of pivotal importance in neuroethics, especially in relation to recent and emerging advances in neuroscience that promise to effectively treat a wide range of motor and psychological disorders. A persistent worry is that modern neurotechnologies (including electroconvulsive therapy, psychosurgery, neural stimulation, psycho-pharmaceuticals, and stem cell transplantation) may negatively affect personal identity. This introduction briefly summarizes the papers in the section “Neuroethics and Identity,” each of which addresses a particular facet of identity as the concept is, or might be, applied in neuroethics. In an effort to clarify the diverse understandings of the concept, the introduction concludes with summary statements on numerical identity, forensic identity, practical identity, narrative identity, and extended identity.