Stimulating the brain : ethical perspectives on deep brain stimulation & nano scaled brain machine interfaces

Connecting man and machine through elaborate brain implants, known as Brain- Machine Interfaces (BMIs), does not only elicit technical and medical challenges and possibilities, but also many ethical concerns. The brain, sometimes described as the ‘seat of the soul’ or ‘organ of the mind’, provides the neural underpinnings not only for the individual human being and her unique characteristics, but also that which distinguishes human beings from nonhuman animals. A BMI creates a direct interface between an electronic device and the brain, allowing them to interact and communicate. Through this capacity, these implants can further our current knowledge of the brain and alleviate neurological dysfunction and impairments. Yet, this very feature has also given rise to fears of mind control and threats to agency, mind reading, and the creation of cyborgs or Humanity 2.0. This thesis aims to separate fact from fiction. The primary foci of the analysis are ethical concerns elicited by Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), often described as a pacemaker for the brain, addressing for instance common biases that may distort an ethical analysis of DBS; whether DBS is a threat to authenticity or personal identity; upcoming and future ethical concerns elicited by DBS. Moreover, in the first paper the ethical implications of merging BMIs and nanotechnology are examined.