Defining Neuroethics

The INS Emerging Issues Task Force is exploring new ways to define neuroethics. As a relatively new discipline that covers a wide range of ethical issues in brain science, no single definition has achieved consensus.

Through the many unique interests, projects, and research of INS members around the world, we hope to feature the incredible diversity of the neuroethics field, and highlight importance of research and dialogue on the responsible use of advances in brain science.

Call for Videos / Definitions

The International Neuroethics Society (INS) invites students, scholars, and professionals from around the world to submit a short video defining neuroethics in their own words and sharing their contributions to the field. This call is part of series of activities organized by the INS to define neuroethics and introduce the discipline to people around the world.

Throughout the years, several influential definitions of neuroethics have been proposed. Yet, no single definition has achieved consensus throughout the field. As the field continues to evolve, we welcome insights from our membership about what neuroethics means to them and how their work fits under the broader umbrella of neuroethics.

This is an opportunity to help shape how our field grows to encompass new approaches and address emerging challenges. Rather than a top-down approach, where experts define the bounds and contours of the discipline, we want your reflections and insights as practitioners who apply neuroethics in their day-to-day work.

We welcome videos from students, researchers, and professionals from any disciplinary background, who useing any methodological approach, and who work and study in all places around the world. We especially welcome submissions from our colleagues in historically underrepresented or marginalized communities — women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities — as well as from our colleagues in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Please follow the format described below when putting together your video. The best submissions will be included in a video compilation developed by INS staff and the Emerging Issues Task Force. Submitting a video carries with it no expectation that it will be included in our final products.

Questions and Responses

How does neuroethics apply to work in your field?

  • "In my discipline/field, neuroethics is ---verb-- to ---action---."

How do you practice or utilize neuroethics in your work?

  • "In my work, I use ---analysis/intervention/concepts--- to ---action/investigate/solve---."

Your responses should follow the formats above and be as succinct as possible. Follow up the initial sentence with further explanation and clarification. See the examples below for guidance.

Please make a separate video for each question prompt, with each response generally about 30 seconds long — but there is no strict limit. Videos do not need to not be polished or edited, and we encourage you to include your outtakes in the files you send. 

Submission

All submissions should be uploaded through the online video submission form. If you have any technical or creative questions, please contact INS staff ([email protected]).

Submissions can be recorded using any popular device (e.g. phone, computer, tablet). Recordings, however, should be made using a stationary camera with a horizontal or landscape orientation. The camera should be placed at around eye level. Avoid using a handheld camera or framing the video as a selfie. Minimize background noise by using headphones when possible. For best results, center yourself in the frame, clear objects from the frame, and record in a setting with adequate lighting (e.g. facing a window).

If there is an option on your device to record at a higher quality, please make sure to choose the highest quality available. Videos should be submitted in .mp4 format if possible.

Submit Video

Example Responses

Ishan Dasgupta

University of Washington

Script: "In my field, neuroethics helps to refine traditional philosophical concepts like agency by taking a bottom-up approach to understanding the impacts of novel technologies, like brain computer interfaces." (Ishan Dasgupta

Script: "In my work, I use open-ended qualitative interviews to examine the values and experiences of people living with implanted neural devices, like brain computer interfaces, to better understand if their sense of agency is impacted. By integrating user feedback into the design of future devices, we are more likely to provide BCIs that match the end-users needs and will be used in their daily life." (Ishan Dasgupta)