Sunday, October 12, 2014

Should Neuroscience Inform Criminology?

Michael Shermer presents a synopsis of a book by University of Pennsylvania criminologist and psychiatrist Adrian Raine, who attempts to answer questions about what makes a criminal mind and related questions in his book The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime. The link to the Scientific American essay can be found at:

Searching for the True Sources of Crime, Where neuroscience meets criminology: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/searching-for-true-sources-crime/

This article makes me question if our criminal justice system acts in our society's best interests. Related questions include the meaning of free will when physical trauma to the brain can make someone a criminal; the morality of taking preventative measures if someone is determined to be likely to commit a crime; and, if science can be used as a tool to define morality.

All are encouraged to share links to resources that shed light on these issues.  Use the "comments" link below to do so.