Overview, Aims and Objectives
Contemporary neuroscience is making important strides in understanding the biological basis of mental processing and cognition. In particular, it is shedding light on how the brain functions through the deployment of powerful new technologies, such as neuro-imaging. This work is increasingly being located within an evolutionary framework, which attempts to understand the biological basis of 'human nature'. New sub-disciplines such as evolutionary psychology, human behavioural genetics and social neuroscience are moving into the traditional territory of the social sciences by attempting to explain key aspects of human behaviour and social interaction. Furthermore, it is hoped that neuroscience will bring many practical benefits by helping to improve our understanding of mental health problems and stimulating the discovery of important new medicines.
The development of neuroscience raises many important issues for both society and the social sciences, including: new ideas about what it is to be human; changing concepts of intentionality and responsibility, and the relationship between mind, self and society; new forms of social control and behaviour modification in children; the growing use of psychopharmaceuticals, changing notions of desire; new accounts of alcoholism, drug dependency and addiction; and the blurring of the boundaries between treatment and enhancement. As a consequence, there is a pressing need for critical reflection on neuroscience's claims, its practices and technologies, and their social implications.
Within the broad field of neuroscience, molecular and cognitive scientists have collaborated closely with social psychologists, philosophers, linguists and other scholars in the humanities. However, little of this work has drawn on the core social science disciplines, such as sociology, politics, and law. At the same time neuroscience directly challenges the social sciences, through its reconstruction of ideas of human agency, human affects and desires, normality and abnormality, and the foundations of society. These seminars will map out this challenge, seek areas of potential common ground and stimulate critical engagement between biological and social scientists, as well as analysing the key issues neuroscience raises for public policy. In doing this, it is hoped that social scientists will make a major contribution to debates within the neurosciences themselves.