Brain Self & Society

This report is a synoptic review of the proceedings of the European Neuroscience and Society Network (ENSN) launch. ENSN, is a European forum that discusses the social, political, economic, and ethical implications of the brain sciences from a multidisciplinary approach. Since it is the leading European forum of its kind, it is worthwhile reflecting on the various debates raised by the experts convened from different academic and professional backgrounds. In the first part of the report, I recapitulate the plenary lectures and workshops and intercalate them with a few thoughts and analyses. The second part is a systematic analysis of the different key themes, issues, and challenges raised and debated during the two-day conference. This could constitute an epistemic framework for further investigation of the impact and implications of the main controversial claims and new concepts that are emerging amidst unprecedented developments in the fastest growing scientific field of the past and present century. I conclude by underlining the importance of such a network of scientists and social scientists in examining the emerging fields of the ‘new brain sciences’.