Center Assistant Professor Dr. Laura Cabrera has a chapter in the new book Neuroethics: Anticipating the Future, edited by Judy Illes and published last month by Oxford University Press. Dr. Cabrera has provided the abstract of her chapter “Environmental neuroethics: Setting the foundations” below.
Abstract: The ways in which humans relate to their environments has been studied from different perspectives, including ethics, sociology, behavioral sciences and genetics. This chapter discusses an emerging approach within neuroethics – environmental neuroethics (EN) – that focuses on ethical and social implications of environmental influences on brain health and mental health. The chapter begins with an overview of different disciplinary approaches to examining the relationship between the environment and human health, followed by discussion of environmental effects on brain and mental health. The next section argues for the importance of generating normative discussion about related issues, particularly because these matters are of global concern with linked social justice implications. This section also lays the foundations for the first generation of environmental neuroethics. The chapter concludes with key questions and challenges ahead for environmental neuroethics.
MSU Bioethics 