Neurorights - Minding the Integrity of Mind

Abstract

Rapid development in neuroscience in the recent years has ushered in a new era in accessing, maneuvering and sharing information from human brain. Manipulation of the human neural processes through neurological technologies has posed a profound threat to human dignity and privacy with a grave risk to violate the ultimate sanctuary of human freedom – his mind. The application of such neurotechnologies pose prominent challenges to human rights values and several ethical and legal concerns must be focused tin order to counter any inadvertent effects. The allusions posed by the emergence of contemporary neurotechnology with reference to the current human rights mechanism are evaluated in this paper and it is concluded that existing human rights regime is insufficient to address these emergent concerns. An inclusive analysis of the liaison between human rights and neurotechnologies represents the dire need of four new human rights that may adopt prime importance in the near future. These rights are as to mental privacy, mental integrity, cognitive liberty, and the psychological continuity.