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Intention, autonomy, and brain events.

Grant Gillett1

  • 1Dunedin Hospital and Otago Bioethics Centre, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand. grant.gillett@otago.ac.nz

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study challenges the view that unconscious brain activity undermines autonomy and free choice. It proposes a neurophilosophical approach, reframing autonomy through a

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Bioethics

Background:

  • Informed consent is a cornerstone of autonomy in medical and research ethics.
  • A neuroscientific perspective suggests unconscious brain processes may dictate choices, challenging notions of conscious free will.
  • Existing models of autonomy often focus on internal mental or neural states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically examine the neurophilosophical underpinnings of autonomy in light of unconscious brain activity.
  • To challenge the deterministic view of human choice based on current neuroscientific models.
  • To propose an alternative framework for understanding autonomy and ethical decision-making.

Main Methods:

  • Neurophilosophical analysis of existing models of autonomy and consciousness.
  • Critique of ethical implications derived from neuroscientific interpretations of decision-making.
  • Exploration of alternative philosophical concepts of selfhood and reasoning.

Main Results:

  • The prevailing neuroscientific view that unconscious brain centers dictate choices is based on a flawed model of autonomy.
  • Conscious free choice is not necessarily undercut by unconscious processes.
  • Current mental/neural state views of autonomy are insufficient.

Conclusions:

  • A 'care of the self' model offers a more robust understanding of autonomy.
  • Attunement to truth, rather than internal states, is central to reasoning and autonomous choice.
  • Revising our understanding of autonomy is crucial for bioethics and neurophilosophy.