Toward a neuroanthropology of ethics: Introduction

The main argument of this introductory chapter is that there is a pressing need for a neuroanthropology of ethics because the neural bases of moral agency are to be found beyond the confines of a single brain: in the coming together and interacting of a community of brains, in the shaping of the moral brain by the social field and culture, and in the workings of a neurocognitive system that evolved to absorb, reproduce, and contribute to shared worlds of meaning. This chapter shows how the papers in this section demonstrate the need for a neuroanthropology of ethics that is sensitive to context, culture, history, and diversity as well as to the relationship between universalism and particularism, scientific fact and personal experience. This chapter also outlines areas of future research in neuroethics from a neuroanthropological perspective. A neuroanthropology of ethics is well placed to unsettle long-held assumptions about ethical behavior. It also offers new ways of approaching ethical phenomena and opens up exciting new avenues of enquiry.