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Neuroreductionism about Sex and Love
Julian Savulescu1, Brian D Earp1
1Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, Littlegate House, St Ebbes St, Oxford OX1 1PT, UK.
None:
"Neuroreductionism" is the tendency to reduce complex mental phenomena to brain states, confusing correlation for physical causation. In this paper, we illustrate the dangers of this popular neuro-fallacy, by looking at an example drawn from the media: a story about "hypoactive sexual desire disorder" in women. We discuss the role of folk dualism in perpetuating such a confusion, and draw some conclusions about the role of "brain scans" in our understanding of romantic love.
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