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Summary Of Incognito The Secret Lives Of The Brain By David Eagleman

477 Words2 Pages

The book “Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” by David Eagleman is a summary of how David Eagleman, a neuroscientist, thinks is the best way to reform the criminal justice system in the United States. Eagleman argues that sentencing for crimes should not be based on the crime itself but rather the person who is committing it ability to reform. Throughout the book Eagleman gives examples and explains how a person who consciously commits a crime is not completely at fault since there many factors that influence a person’s conscience mind. He cites the examples of stress and drugs as two factors that could alter a person’s personality and contribute in making a person commit a crime. The current criminal justice system, Eagleman argues, is based on attributing blame for a crime and then deciding who gets blamed based on a person’s motivation to commit it. …show more content…

With this in mind it is difficult to convict and punish someone for a crime they committed and blame them for what their conscience mind did when it is the unconscious and that actually controls a person’s personality. Such is the complexity of the brain and peoples personality that Eagleman thinks neuroscience should be a dominant part in the American justice system. Personally I believe Eagleman might have a point when it comes to whether or not a person’s ability to be reformed should be considered when incarcerating a criminal. The whole point of prison and countless prison programs is too help reform inmates and make them productive members of society. With this being said, if this is the purpose of the criminal justice system then why isn’t neuroscience being used to determine how well criminals will respond to this attempted reformation of their

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