Freedom of Memory Today

Abstract:     
Emerging technologies raise the possibility that we may be able to treat trauma victims by pharmaceutically dampening factual or emotional aspects of their memories. Such technologies raise a panoply of legal and ethical issues. While many of these issues remain off in the distance, some have already arisen.

In this brief commentary for the journal Neuroethics, I discuss a real-life case of memory erasure. The case reveals why the contours of our freedom of memory -- our limited bundle of rights to control our memories and be free of outside control -- already merit some attention.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 4

Keywords: Memory, Neuroethics, Neurolaw, Memory Dampening, Freedom of Memory, Therapeutic Forgetting

Accepted Paper Series