Neuroethics and Philosophy in Responsible Research and Innovation: The Case of the Human Brain Project

Abstract

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)is an important ethical, legal, and political theme for the European Commission. Although variously defined, it is generally understood as an interactive process that engages social actors, researchers, and innovators who must be mutually responsive and work towards the ethical permissibility of the relevant research and its products. The framework of RRI calls for contextually addressing not just research and innovation impact but also the background research process, specially the societal visions underlying it and the norms and priorities that shape scientific agendas. This requires the integration of anticipatory, inclusive, and responsive dimensions, and the nurturing of a certain type of reflexivity among a variety of stakeholders, from scientists to funders. In this paper, we do not address potential limitations but focus on the potential contribution of philosophical reflection to RRI in the context of the Ethics and Society subproject of the Human Brain Project (HBP). We show how the type of conceptual analysis provided by philosophically oriented approaches theoretically and ethically broadens research and innovation within the HBP. We further suggest that overt inclusion of philosophical reflection can promote the aims and objectives of RRI.

Ethical and Social Aspects of Neurorobotics

“…In practice, the RRI programme of the HBP is implemented by four work packages that focus on technology foresight (Aicardi et al 2018 ), philosophical and neuroethical reflection (Salles et al 2019 ), public engagement, and ethics support (Stahl et al 2016 ). Ethics Support uses an approach of ethics dialogues to implement RRI (Stahl et al 2019 ).…”

Of Ethical Frameworks and Neuroethics in Big Neuroscience Projects: A View from the HBP

“…3 In short, SP12 researchers were given a clear general ethical framework (the RRI framework endorsed by the EC) that they have used to identify, articulate, and assess the issues arising from HBP. But in the process, they have carried out different types of analysis, including sociological and philosophical analysis and, thus, have tried to contribute to further refinement of the very concept of RRI (Salles et al 2019a).…”

“…It is designed to focus on the construction of scientific knowledge and of ethical and social reasoning and analysis, on the relevant scientific and philosophical notions, and on the legitimacy of diverse interpretations, reflecting on neuroscience not just from the outside, but rather collaborating with it in order to get a shared definition of key notions relevant to the scientific and ethical discourse. (Evers et al 2017;Farisco, Salles, et al 2018;Salles et al 2019aSalles et al , 2019b.…”

Neuroethics Questions to Guide Ethical Research in the International Brain Initiatives

“…At its best, far from being an uncritical advocate of neuroscience, neuroethics can remain constructively critically aware, providing a lens for reimagining the questions and potential impact of specific research projects. Still, such critique has prompted some neuroethics scholars to argue for a ''fundamental neuroethics,'' a term employed by the philosophy research group of the HBP, which aims to delve into deep conceptual philosophy, to explore how scientific inquiry can be used to address a number of fundamental philosophical questions and how such questions might be explored in the context of responsible research innovation (RRI) (Salles et al, 2018). RRI is a normative framework that has dominated EU policy and governance that generally encourages stakeholder involvement to collectively discuss how best to advance societal goals through technology innovation.…”