Hi Michael,

Not sure whether I’d have any position on evo-psychiatry at all, just noted the issues with the approach. I’m probbaly not qualified to judge this, but my issue would be that we should be careful with any evolutionary explanation, as it from a logical standpoint may so easy become retrofitting.
-Thomas

I wanted to say thanks for this excellent blog and this incredible list of bibliographic resources. I just finished a readings course on neuroethics for my grad studies program (sociology and anthropology), specifically looking at the use of fMRI technology to test for “pediatric bipolar disorder” (I argue firmly that this is an absolute misuse of the technology, and yields very false data…if you fancy reading my 8000 word final paper, it’s posted on my site today! :razz:)

This is a more comprehensive list of resources than any mentor at school was able to provide me with – even though I live in the same city as Judy Illes! I tried to get in touch with her last winter but could not – I’d imagine she’s a pretty busy woman.

I had also completely forgotten about the neuroethics that arose from medical experimentation done during World War Two! I am a historical/critical sociologist/anthropologist (nice mouthful there) and I wanted to use theory that considers the historical processes that lead up to a certain social phenomena, rather than making (ungrounded) projections about the future. Finding that short piece, on experimentation, primarily on children, during the Third Reich, allowed me to elegantly use the theory I chose, but didn’t know quite how to make a cohesive argument with beforehand.

So, thank-you so much for providing this important information! More critical websites/blogs on brain science and “mental illness” are badly needed – ours are a very good start. 😉

Cheers!
scars

Kable, J.W. and Glimcher, P.W. (2009). The Neurobiology of Decision: Consensus and Controversy. Neuron, 63(6), 733-745.

I would very much appreciate if someone could share other recent review papers. Thanks.

I haven’t gone through all the brain areas activated by UL but the earliest evolutionarily-speaking makes sense — the right PAG as the earliest detectable structure involved in unconditional love. The right PAG is responsible for releasing our bladder sphinter during urination…. we all know that feeling! That’s the earliest stirrings of UL– makes sense to me.