Description:

The Master of Arts in Medical Humanities and Bioethics Program

Presents

A Montgomery Lecture

With

Tom Buller, PhD
Professor
Department of Philosophy
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Brain-Computer Interfaces – Philosophical Issues

According to a commonly held view, the boundary of the physical body marks the line where the person begins and the world begins.  On one side of this line we have the self and self-consciousness, agency, authenticity, intention, and responsibility; on the other side we have artefacts, effects, and the physical world.  We are “inside” our bodies and this phenomenal aspect is essential in determining what counts as the body. Brain-computer interfaces provide an alternative way for a person to act upon the world, a potential way to bypass some of the physical constraints imposed by the loss of motor function. In so doing, this neurotechnology also raises important questions about the nature of personhood, embodiment, agency, and intentional action.

This lecture is open to the public and will be held in the Searle Seminar Room in the Lurie Research Building (303 E Superior), Chicago Campus. For those outside the Chicago area and anyone who would prefer to attend remotely, a Zoom option is also available.

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