Neuroscience of Morality

fMRI image of regions in the brain used in assessing intent.

fMRI indicating areas of the brain used in considering someone's intentions; right and left TPJ, MPFC & precuneus. Image courtesy of Professor Rebecca Saxe.

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

9.46

As Taught In

Fall 2017

Level

Undergraduate

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Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

How do we decide whether an action is morally wrong? How do we choose to do what is right? When and why do we punish wrong-doers? Moral behavior and moral evaluation are functions of the human brain. It is just becoming possible to use neuroscientific methods to understand how they work. This course will consider the mechanisms of morality as a question for neuroscientists.

Related Content

Rebecca Saxe. 9.46 Neuroscience of Morality. Fall 2017. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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