Week 1
August 31–September 4
Monday
What is neuroethics?
- May, Neuroethics, ch. 1, pp. 3–14
Wednesday
The geography: touring the brain
- May, Appendix A.2, pp. 23–31 (Brain Basics)
Friday
Fall 2026
Course schedule
Topics, readings, and major deadlines for each week. Changes will be announced in class and reflected here.
Week 2
September 7–11
Example discussion-piece summary provided
Monday
Labor Day
No class
Wednesday
The instruments: measuring minds
Friday
The field + the ethical toolkit
- May, Appendix A.1, pp. 15–22 (Philosophy Primer)
Week 3
September 14–18
Weekly discussion pieces begin
Monday
Free will, determinism, bypassing
- May, ch. 2, pp. 35–61
- Seth, ch. 11 (Degrees of Freedom)
Wednesday
The moral brain
- May, ch. 6, pp. 149–173
Friday
Out
No class
Week 4
September 21–25
Monday
Addiction: the received view
- May, ch. 5, pp. 119–144
Wednesday
Pickard I: alone in a cage with cocaine
- Pickard, Introduction (pp. 1–20) and ch. 6 (pp. 81–92)
- Pickard, ch. 1 (pp. 23–35)
Friday
Pickard II: responsibility without blame
- Pickard, ch. 4 (pp. 48–61) and ch. 19 (pp. 251–269)
- Pickard, chs. 16–18 (pp. 217–250)
Week 5
September 28–October 2
Monday
The brain-disease model on trial
- Pickard, ch. 8 (pp. 101–111)
Wednesday
Psychedelic therapy: the evidence
Friday
Out
No class
Week 6
October 5–9
Campus survey responses due October 9
Monday
The comforting delusion objection
Wednesday
Unbinding the self
Friday
Midterm review + paper launch
Study guide and paper prompt distributed
Week 7
October 12–16
Midterm exam — October 13, in class
Monday
Columbus Day
No class
Tuesday
Midterm exam
Monday class schedule
Wednesday
The real problem of consciousness
- Seth, Being You, Prologue + chs. 1–2
- Seth, ch. 3 (Phi)
Friday
Perception as controlled hallucination†
- Seth, chs. 4–5
- Seth, ch. 6
Week 8
October 19–23
Monday
The beast machine: embodied selfhood
- Seth, chs. 8–9
- Seth, ch. 10
Wednesday
Animal consciousness
Friday
Skeptics and default assumptions
Week 9
October 26–30
Monday
Machine consciousness
- Seth, chs. 12–13
Wednesday
Inside the black box
Friday
Mental disorder
- May, ch. 4, pp. 93–116
Week 10
November 2–6
Research paper proposal due November 6
Monday
Out
No class
Wednesday
Out
No class
Friday
The neurodiversity debate
Week 11
November 9–13
Monday
Neurodiversity, identity, difference
Wednesday
Intervening on agency
Friday
Out
No class
Week 12
November 16–20
Research paper rough draft due November 20
Monday
Living with the device
Wednesday
Cosmetic neurology
- May, ch. 7, pp. 175–199
Friday
Cheapened achievement
Week 13
November 23–29
Monday
Fairness, doping, access
Wednesday
Thanksgiving
No class
Friday
Thanksgiving
No class
Week 14
November 30–December 4
Research paper final draft due December 4
Monday
Brain reading
- May, ch. 9, pp. 229–256
Wednesday
Manipulation and mental privacy
Friday
Freedom of thought
Week 15
December 7–11
Cumulative final exam — Wednesday, December 16, 8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Monday
Nuanced neuroethics + review
- May, ch. 10, pp. 261–272
Wednesday
Out
No class
Friday
Out
No class
† If October 16 becomes an out-of-town day, that session is cut and later sessions shift forward; the December 7 session absorbs the change.