Page - 121 - in Cyborg Mind - What Brain–Computer and Mind–Cyberspace Interfaces Mean for Cyberneuroethics

Cyberneuroethics • 121 abilities are limited, for whatever reason, this can diminish or influence the will of a person. In addition, it is important to consider the significant envi- ronmental, cultural and historical influences that affect the brain and the mind.90 For example, a person’s behaviour and free will can be influenced by having a clinical depression that may affect his or her ability to frame and enact his or her intentions.91 More generally, it is worth noting that no human person has complete control of his or her actions. This is because many effects, including uncon- scious biological processes in the brain, are involved when a decision is made.92 For instance, it is only when the brain becomes aware of the feeling of hunger that a person begins to behave in a certain way by looking for food. It is also accepted that the mechanics of the nervous system can sometimes have a real effect on a person’s decision-making capacity. If a person com- mits a serious crime in order to obtain some benefit and a tumour is then discovered in his or her brain, extenuating conditions may be accepted by a court. A brain tumour has indeed been demonstrated to disrupt certain neuronal pathways associated with moral behaviour and inhibitory centres that would normally prevent inappropriate actions. This means that free will may be affected by neurobiology, even though the persons themselves may believe that they are totally in charge and that their behaviour is not being influenced by any effects in their brains. Research suggests that persons are aware of only a minuscule fraction of the neuronal activities that regulate their behaviour. Some signals are, in fact, always ignored by the conscious person, such as those that manage blood glucose levels. Similarly, other brain signals that control certain forms of behaviour are processed without the knowledge of the person. In parallel to this unconscious form of performance, conscious reflection and deliberation can take place. This happens if a person gives reasons for an action for which he or she is consciously aware. However, a significant amount of brain activity that actually prepares and determines the decision remains outside of conscious recollection.93 This means that the subconscious and conscious parts of decision-making are both acting together in determin- ing behaviour. In a similar manner, a memory device implanted in the brain of a person who remains unconscious of its operations may not necessarily undermine any concept of this person’s free will and agency. If an individual is not in total control of his or her thoughts and behaviour, this does not mean that he or she may not be acting freely. Though no unanimity exists, philosophers generally believe that three overall conditions are necessary for persons to have free will, namely, that they must: This open access edition has been made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license thanks to the support of Knowledge Unlatched. Not for resale.