The Human Sciences After the Decade of the Brain

The Human Sciences after the Decade of the Brainsurveys the mutual interactions between cognitive neuroscience and the social sciences and humanities, also investigating the methodological and conceptual prospects and perils of choosing a neuroscience approach to these disciplines. The book sheds light on a broad range of epistemological, historical, and sociological questions regarding the neuro-turn of the new millennium.

The book's first section focuses on epistemological questions posed by neurobiologically informed approaches to these areas. The second section investigates neuroscience’s influence on explanations for social and moral behavior and examines how the biological and psychological conditions set by the brain structures implicated in moral agency set constraints for explanations of individual and social behavior and moral theory.

The final part critically explores the consequences of the neuro-turn in diverse disciplines of the social sciences and humanities and how cognitive neuroscience affects, and is affected by, such fields as economics, marketing, education, and ethical theory. This interdisciplinary investigation will be an informative and fascinating reference for neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, and biological psychologists interested in the philosophical, ethical, legal, and societal influences of, and on, their work.

• Explores the recent influence of neurobiology on the humanities and social sciences and how they respond to neuroscience influences
• Offers in-depth analysis of the theoretical and practical influence of a brain-centered scientific view in diverse areas of the social sciences, including economics, education, cultural studies, and philosophy
• Investigates contributions of the history of science
• Scrutinizes current cognitive science-based approaches to social and moral behavior