Forget Me Not: The Neuroethical Case Against Memory Manipulation (Cognitive Science And Psychology)

The first philosophical monograph on the ethics of memory manipulation (MM), this book contends that any attempt to directly and intentionally erase one¿s autobiographical memories poses grave threats to the human condition that cannot be morally justified. An increasingly blurred understanding of the moral significance of accurate and authentic autobiographical memory for an adequate apprehension of self, other, and community suggests a critical need to explore the inter-relationships shared between autobiographical memory, emotional rationality, and narrative identity in light of the contemporary possibilities of MM, particularly as it bears on ethical decision making. Grounding its thesis in four evidential effects ¿ namely, (i) MM disintegrates autobiographical memory, (ii) the disintegration of autobiographical memory degenerates emotional rationality, (iii) the degeneration of emotional rationality decays narrative identity, and (iv) the decay of narrative identity disables one to seek, identify, and act on the good ¿ the author argues that MM cannot be justified as a morally licit practice insofar as it disables one to seek, identify, and act on the good. A landmark achievement in the field of neuroethics, this book is a welcome addition to both the scholarly and professional community in philosophical and clinical bioethics.

• | Author: Peter DePergola
• | Publisher: Vernon Press
• | Publication Date: Apr 05, 2019
• | Number of Pages: 314 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 162273694X
• | ISBN-13: 9781622736942