[Methodological deficits in neuroethics: do we need theoretical neuroethics?].

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ethics
• Philosophy of Mind

Context:

• Current neuroethics is heavily focused on empirical data and applications within neuroscience.
• This empirical focus overlooks crucial social and political dimensions.
• A future social neuroethics requires addressing these broader contexts.

Purpose:

• To address methodological issues in neuroethics, particularly concerning different levels of analysis and concept integration.
• To propose a novel methodological strategy called contextual fact-norm iterativity.
• To bridge the gap between descriptive and normative concepts in neuroethics.

Summary:

• The article critiques the current empirical orientation of neuroethics, highlighting its neglect of social and political contexts.
• It examines two key methodological challenges: inter-level inferences (e.g., consciousness from neuronal data) and linking descriptive/normative concepts.
• A proposed solution involves mutual contextualization, leading to a strategy of contextual fact-norm iterativity.

Impact:

• This work advocates for a more holistic approach to neuroethics, integrating empirical findings with social, political, and theoretical considerations.
• The proposed contextual fact-norm iterativity offers a framework for non-reductive and non-inferential integration of diverse concepts.
• This methodological advancement can foster a more robust and socially relevant field of neuroethics.