Drugs, Society, Human Rights & Justice

Drug law and policy has its roots in fear, ignorance, racism and vested interest. Sadly, this has changed little over the years. Drug law and policy continues to be shaped more by punitive populism and moral crusades rather than scientific evidence, reason and rationality.

Raymond Tallis: Increasing claims for neuroscience – that it can locate jealousy or Muslim fundamentalism – are ludicrous

The grip of neuroscience on the academic and popular imagination is extraordinary. In recent decades, brain scientists have burst out of the laboratory into the public forum. They are everywhere, analysing and explaining every aspect of our humanity, mobilising their expertise to instruct economists, criminologists, educationists, theologians, literary critics, social scientists and even politicians, and in some cases predicting a neuro-savvy utopia in which mankind, blessed with complete self-understanding, will be able to create a truly rational and harmonious future.