INTRODUCTION

This chapter shifts attention to the public policy context of neuroscience and examines the possibilities and problems inherent in attempts to shape an international policy agenda in neuroethics. The line between neuroethics and neuropolicy is a porous one and ultimately all of the most important neuroethics issues will find themselves embroiled in the policy arena. Like genetics and stem cell research, neuroscience promises to be a highly controversial political issue in and across countries. It, too, raises political and cultural red flags that arise whenever we deal with human cells, selves, and societal values. However, although the political ramifications of human genetic research have been well documented and widely analyzed over the past decade, and the social, legal, and ethical dimensions funded as part of the human genome project, there has been no methodical scrutiny given to neuroscience. In light of the rapid advances in our knowledge of the structure and functions of the central nervous system (CNS), it is timely to examine the impact of this new understanding and the vast array of applications that accompany it on human behavior, social institutions, and our perceptions of the human condition.

The array of techniques and strategies for intervention in and imaging of the brain are expanding rapidly and are certain to be joined in the future by even more remarkable capabilities. In addition to treating neural diseases and disorders, these innovations promise increasingly precise and effective means of predicting, modifying, and controlling behavior.